"GAZPROM" ON THE NECK

NEWS FROM MAJOR COMPANIES

On March 22, at a meeting of the government of the Russian Federation, the head of the board of Gazprom, Alexei Miller, officially proposed completely abolishing state regulation of gas tariffs for industry and selling it domestically from next year ...

On March 22, at a meeting of the government of the Russian Federation, the head of the board of Gazprom, Alexei Miller, officially proposed completely abolishing state regulation of gas tariffs for industry and selling it domestically at world prices from next year. What many experts have predicted is about to happen. "National Treasure" may well destroy the national economy...

They say that with mother's milk, a child absorbs not only health, but also faith in the parent - in her kindness and strength that can protect. In recent decades, in the same way, together with relatively cheap blue fuel, we have absorbed faith in Gazprom, in its "kindness and strength." Because in our most difficult time, when prices were growing by leaps and bounds, regardless of the purchasing power of the population, of all energy sources (except for trees secretly cut down in the forest for village stoves), only gas was available and commensurate with our incomes. But it turns out that this generous Gazprom chest oozed not only milk.

The fact is that all these years, domestic users have been paying (and are still paying) five to six times less for gas than external users. Believing that this will always be the case, the Russian regions hastily converted all generators and boilers to gas. Even at those power plants where it was possible to use, for example, fuel oil along with gas, fuel oil facilities were dismantled, and reserve fuel facilities were imprudently closed. As a result, the country has slipped into a monstrous fuel imbalance. Because the share of gas in Russian industry has already exceeded 60 percent, and in some regions it has reached 80 percent.

During the period of quiet takeover of the entire Russian economy, the gas monopoly, of course, did not stutter about a serious increase in prices, otherwise the idea itself would have failed. During the period of capture, gingerbread was offered to consumers. Saved the whip for later.

Today, the last doubts that the gas monopoly ceases to be only gas have already disappeared. After the takeover of Rosneft, Gazprom embarked on a path leading to an absolute energy monopoly in the country. And there is no stopping him on this path. That is why, and precisely now, Miller found it possible to come up with his proposal. Its essence is, as stated in the company's annual report, "to use exchange technologies to determine the prices of gas supplies to industrial consumers, and to keep regulated gas prices only for housing and communal services, budget consumers and the population." Alexey Miller proceeds from the fact that out of 375.5 billion cubic meters of gas sold on the domestic market, only 77 billion went to the population and public utilities. The rest was absorbed by industrial enterprises - approximately 77-78 percent. They should be paid in full. It is strange that such a prominent economist and business executive as Miller pretends that industrial enterprises have nothing to do with the population. Yes, housewives will be able to cook borscht on their kitchen stove at reduced prices, but the question is whether they will be able to cook it at all. Because after the global increase in gas prices for industrial enterprises, the prices for transport and all other goods will increase several times. And we will have to fry crackers on our home gas stove.

And in total darkness. Because, for example, 38 percent of the gas sold by Gazprom is consumed by RAO UES of Russia. And what prices will Chubais be forced to set for electricity? And what kind of bumps will fall on him even if he is forced to sell part of the assets of his offspring to Gazprom, about which persistent rumors are already circulating? However, Chubais is no stranger. Chubais, as you know, is to blame for everything. But how are we going to get used to all this?

Of course, independent gas producers could stop the expansion of the monopolist. But where are they? The last of the survivors - NOVATEK and Itera - remain silent in fear, while Northgas, in fact, operates under an economic blockade similar to the one in Leningrad, and even fights off psychological attacks. As for some other sources of energy, as has already been said, after the hasty conversion of the overwhelming majority of industrial enterprises to gas, they are slowly dying out. In particular, the coal industry is not in the best condition. And, I think, we will see miners clattering their helmets on the Humpback Bridge more than once in the very near future.

If in the coming years Gazprom controls most of the energy market, disowning state regulation, then it will be able to dictate any prices as a monopolist. Moreover, Miller did not even wait for the completion of the reform within Gazprom itself, which, as you know, is going neither shaky nor rolls, and given the closeness of this organization, it can be assumed that no reform has begun.

Gazprom likes to refer to the fact that by selling gas within the country at low prices, they incur huge losses. Meanwhile, there is a good way to replenish Gazprom's, and at the same time, the state treasury. The entire population of Russia, for example, cannot understand in any way why Gazprom is still selling gas at greatly reduced prices to Georgia and Moldova, which are frankly unfriendly towards us today. Yes, and some other foreign countries. They would sell them at world prices - you see, they would make ends meet. Well, doesn't Gazprom really have a bigger enemy than its own population?