Gerus explains the decision to cancel the moratorium on power outages and penalties for utility debts

The government has decided to lift the moratorium on power outages and penalties for utility debts because a trend has begun to emerge  where subsidy recipients and pensioners pay on time, while many wealthy people are accumulating electricity debts. This was announced  by the chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Energy, Housing and Utilities Services, Andriy Gerus, during a telethon, according to a UNN correspondent.

"As of today, what we have been analyzing for the past year, a certain trend has begun to emerge that we have the most disciplined payers for housing and communal services, primarily subsidy recipients, because if you have debts, you can lose your subsidy, and pensioners. People who are well off, whose salaries are measured in thousands of dollars, have begun to abuse certain regulations and have started to accumulate debts for electricity," Gerus said.

He noted that some wealthy categories who could pay did not pay, realizing that they would not be paid anything at all.

"We see that some categories of people who are wealthy and can pay did not pay, realizing that they could not pay and would not be charged anything at all. That is why the government made this decision. The situation when subsidy recipients and pensioners pay on time, while many wealthy people do not pay for housing and communal services is definitely wrong and unfair," Gerus said.

Addendum

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has canceled the moratorium on power outages and penalties for utility arrears. The area of active hostilities is an exception.