Medvedev: Energy debts in NCFD have reached a "critical" mark

The debts of local authorities in the North Caucasus to energy

providers have reached a "critical" 20 billion mark, Russian Prime

Minister Dmitry Medvedev said at a meeting on the

development of the fuel and energy complex of North Caucasus

Federal District. "I want  to talk very frankly today about what

to do with the debt for supplied energy ...

The situation is really critical. The total debt to suppliers of

electricity in the region is 20 billion rubles as of 1 November," the

head of the government said.

However, the prime minister said that electricity will not be

cut off from the indebted districts. On the contrary, government

guarantees for the timely supply of electricity will be increased.

"As part of the projects in 2012-2014, 100 billion rubles will be

invested in the energy sector, including 35 billion this year,"

Medvedev said.

As the presidential envoy to the North Caucasus

Federal District, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Khloponin said,

20,000 tons of oil are annually stolen from pipelines in the North

Caucasus. "And then we wonder how these numerous so-called

mini-refineries work," Khloponin told journalists after a meeting on

the development of the fuel and energy complex of the North Caucasus

Federal District.