Electricity Fee to Be Increased from Marc 1 in Kakheti

Eka Bregvadze, Kakheti

From March 1, subscribers will have to pay 4 tetri more for 1 kilowatt electricity that will make 17 tetri instead previous 13 tetri. The natural gas tariff will increase at 11 tetri only for Telavi municipality population. As local say they expected reduction of prices but the opposite happened. 

According to the Ministry of Energy, the reason of increase is stopped subsidies from the state budget. They say that the subsidy, which made up more than 4 million GEL per year, will no longer be allocated for Kakheti region and locals will have to pay it. The Ministry of Energy clarifies that with the increased tariff Kakheti region population will have to pay fees equal to other regions population. The subsidy program for the region population finished on December 1, 2015, but was extended for three months in winter time. 

Increased tariff on electricity and gas caused big discontent of population.

“The government promised us to reduce the tariff on electricity but instead they made fees more expensive. People are so poor and when tariffs will increase most of us will not be able to use electric appliances. The pension is not enough even for medicines, everything is so expensive and how we will live on,” Ekaterina Zardiashvili said.

Representatives of the Ministry of Energy said the tariff will not be increased for subscribers who use more than 301 kilowatt electricity per month.

“Kakheti region indigent population, particularly those, whose rating points are equal or less than 70 000 points, will be subsided by the state program. This program is working in other region of Georgia. Socially indigent population who use less than 301 kilowatt electricity per month will receive allowance of 3.95 tetri for each kilowatt of electricity,” the Ministry representative said.

As for the natural gas tariff, it will be increased for one part of Telavi population. Company Visol Petroleum Georgia will increase tariff for up to 7 000 subscribers with 11 tetri. 

The company director Davit Jirmizashvili said the tariff will be changed only for those subscribers who joined the system in August of 2008. If the company would increase the tariff, the subscribers would not be able to pay the communal bill. 

Locals protest increased tariff on the natural air and request to cancel the decision. They started to collect signatures.

“We protested increased tariff and collect signatures among the population; then we will send the petition with signatures to relevant institutions. We will fight against increased tariff; if our request is not satisfied, we will apply all forms of protest in civil and legal forms,” head of the Kakheti regional office of the Unite National Movement Giorgi Botkoveli said.