THE DEPUTIES HAVE POSTPONED THE APPROVAL ANRE: The tax on the natural energy monopolies, borne by companies

Yesterday, the Deputies of the Budget, Finance and Banks Commission have postponed yesterday the debate and the approval of the draft law concerning the Government Emergency Ordinance concerning the taxation of the natural monopolies in the electricity and gas sectors (transport and distribution). The MPs have heavily debated the ordinance with Dan Manolescu, secretary of state in the Ministry of Finance, who proposed that the former pass the law in the form proposed by the government. The MPs have asked whether the tax would be clawed-back from consumers and whether it was deductible for companies.

Dan Manolescu told the companies that the ANRE (the energy market regulator) will decide whether the tax will be borne by consumers or by companies out of their profit, as regulating this aspect is not the role of the Ministry of Finance.

Mr. Manolescu said, for BURSA, that the ANRE has not yet decided how this tax will be recouped. The representatives of the ANRE said that the natural monopoly tax will be borne by companies, not by consumers. He said that this aspect has been clarified by the regulation committee and that so far no operator has asked for the recouping of the tax out of the regulated fees.

According to the Emergency Ordinance, the transport of electricity and gas will have a fee of 0.1 lei/MWh, and the distribution of electricity and gas-0.75 lei/MWh. A tax of 0.85 lei/MWh will be borne for the energy and natural gas extracted out of the transport system and exported or provided directly to consumers.

The Ministry of Finance estimates that the tax will bring in this year approximately 257 million lei to the state budget and 309 million lei in 2014. The tax will apply between February 1st 2013 and December 31st, 2014, during which time the energy market will be liberalized for industrial consumers.

On January 25th, BURSA published an exclusive interview with Nicolae Havrileţ, the president of the ANRE, in which he has announced that the taxation of the natural energy monopolies will not re recouped from consumers.