Ukraine amends procedure for receiving humanitarian aid for energy sector
MOSCOW. Nov 22 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian government has made amendments to its directive dated July 22, 2022 on the receipt, distribution, use, and stocktaking of humanitarian assistance to the energy sector amid martial law, Ukrainian media have reported with reference to government representative at the Verkhovna Rada Taras Melnichuk.
The government has added military administrations to the list of assistance acquirers, and provided for the implementation by the Energy Ministry of an information and communication system serving as a platform for the online monitoring of the energy sector's state and assistance stocktaking.
The National Commission for State Regulation of Energy and Utilities said its Chairman Konstantin Ushchapovsky and Energy Community Secretariat Director Artur Lorkowski signed a memorandum of cooperation on verifying items purchased for Ukrainian energy companies through the Ukrainian Energy Support Fund, which was drawn up in the wake of the initiative of the European Commission and international donors.
"Its purpose is to ensure cooperation between the parties on the verification and documentation of the use by Ukrainian energy companies of items purchased and delivered under the Ukraine Energy Support Fund in line with support requests and purchase agreements concluded under the Fund," it says.
As reported, the procedure for receiving humanitarian assistance from donors for energy needs dated July 22, 2022 designates as acquirers of such assistance business entities regardless of their form of ownership operating in the electric energy, nuclear, coal, peat, oil and gas production, and oil and gas refining sectors, military administrations, and critical infrastructure facilities requiring urgent restoration of power and/or gas supply.
To receive assistance, acquirers shall submit corresponding requests to the Energy Ministry, which shall analyze them and inform donors of their needs.
Potential acquirers shall be determined depending on the willingness of donors to offer assistance that shall ultimately be provided to enterprises through the recipients of this assistance. The directive designates as such recipients Centrenergo, Naftogaz of Ukraine, and the Khmelnitsky regional energy company. If necessary, other state-owned businesses or organization under the Energy Ministry's management could also be designated as such.
As reported, the Ukraine Energy Support Fund was established in spring 2022 at the initiative of Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko and European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson.
The ministry has said earlier that the overall amount of commitments undertaken by donors regarding their grant contributions to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund has topped 322 million euros, of which 192 million euros has been actually transferred from 15 state and private donors of several countries, and the rest of the amount is expected to come to the fund's account in the near future.