Serbia has sufficient quantities of gas for the next period, and if there is another increase in the price of that energy this year, it will certainly not be higher than 10 percent, said the general director of Public Enterprise Srbijagas Dušan Bajatović.
He said that Serbia currently has more than half the required amount of gas for the heating season and emphasized that Serbia is safe in this regard.
“We took all the steps to ensure enough gas. When you have more choices, that is, when you increase the number of those who can sell you gas and when you are in a good financial position, you have reduced the risks of running out of that energy source,” said Bajatović.
He reminded that Serbia has a long-term contract signed according to the oil formula, which is at the lowest possible price imaginable and was agreed upon by the presidents of Serbia and Russia, Aleksandar Vučić and Vladimir Putin.
“If we calculate that in average conditions we need about 1.6 billion cubic meters of gas for the heating season, we have already secured and have in reserve about 50 percent of the gas in the warehouse,” said Bajatović.
He added that his estimate is that by 2030, Serbia will be at the level of annual gas consumption of 4.7 billion cubic meters, and by 2035 at the level of 7.2 billion cubic meters, while now that consumption is somewhere around three billion.
“Consumers also have to pay something”
When asked whether the price of gas will rise, Bajatović said that the Minister of Mining and Energy, Dubravka Đedović, recently announced that commitments to increase the price of gas had been taken.
“We monitor the prices and the price increases will be in line with what is happening on the market. The price increase will certainly not be higher than 10 percent,” said the director of Srbijagas.
According to him, it cost 1.4 billion euros in the previous period to provide gas for heating to households, hospitals, and schools.
“Not all the money was given by the state, but Srbijagas also took on debt,” he said and added that everything is transparent and that it is known to the last penny how much money the state gave in which period, and this was confirmed by the International Monetary Fund. Bajatović said that all costs must not be transferred to the state and Srbijagas and that consumers must pay something.
“The essence of the reform of energy companies is that they should be at the level of the best energy companies in the world, but then salaries must also be at the level of those companies. The reform should be a strong corporatization of JP,” said Bajatović and emphasized that management should be asked for results and there should be “less political influence”.
Speaking about the extraordinary elections, Bajatović said that the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) is always ready for elections and has never run away from them.
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