Ukraine to ask IMF to cancel gas price increase for households
KYIV. Feb 3 (Interfax) - Ukraine hopes to agree a cancellation of the increase in the price of natural gas for households at a meeting with the IMF on Friday.
The price increase takes effect on April 1.
"The prime minister is scheduled to meet with representatives of the IMF on Friday. Among other things, they will discuss the possibility of keeping the budget deficit and Naftogaz Ukrainy results within the parameters for 2011 agreed with the IMF, by using a combination of domestic and imported gas, without increasing the price of gas by 50% from April 1," a source in the government told Interfax.
First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Klyuev said on Wednesday that the government does not think raising gas prices this spring is a good idea and plans to avoid by boosting domestic production of conventional and shale gas.
The increase in gas prices is stipulated in the memorandum of cooperation between Ukraine and the IMF.