The Government will define this week increases the gas flow rate natural network for the entire country. The resolutions will be published this Friday in the Official Journal and will reflect the removal of subsidies to energy, as well as improving the revenues of transporters and distributors.
Gas was the last national utility to freeze rates since the middle of last year. In December, households paid just 17% of the real cost of gas supply (70 cents per million BTU compared to US$4.10) while companies demanded increases of more than 500% in their margins.
If progress were made towards the total elimination of subsidies, The rates would be multiplied at least 6 times. The consultant EcoGo calculated that gas could increase by 743%.
“This week there will be news”, said the Energy Minister, Eduardo Rodríguez Chirilloafter his participation in the AmCham Summit.
In the private sector they are confident that the increase will come into force from March 15, so as not to postpone the recomposition of incomes until April amid months of double-digit inflation. Furthermore, they expect an accelerated mechanism of indexation of their rates based on the evolution of wholesale inflation (IPIM), retail inflation (CPI) and wages.
The public hearing was held on January 4 National gas regulatory body (Enargas) had everything decided to implement the rate increase from February. But the Minister of Economy, Luis Caputo, ordered the increase to be postponed and to proceed instead with the adjustment of electricity, which in this period of the year involves greater subsidies.
SN
Source: Clarin
