North Ossetia provided with gas supplies

North Ossetia is one of the Russian regions with the highest level of
gas supply (96%). Due to systemized investment flows, natural gas goes
even to distant villages. There are two structures in the republic,
which have been working for two years - the natural gas supplier
“Kavkazregiongas” and “Alaniyagas”, which supervises technical issues.
According to the head of the limited liability company
“Kavkazregiongas” in North Ossetia, Kaspolat Butayev, the two-in-one
system of gas economy performs well – the disproportion of prices in
the republic has been dealt with, they have managed to secure
investment and send funds to develop the gas supply structure (safety
has been improved and risk of exploitation of the gas network has been
reduced).

As with other North Caucasus republics, the main problem is the
process of paying for gas received gas and accounting for gas
supplied. North Ossetia has 210 thousand addressees, 80 thousand of
which have gas-meters. 25 of 100 gas-meters taken for examination had
had their inner mechanism adjusted. “We have means to take action
against neglectful addressees. We take out 500 lawsuits each month.
Our staff tries to influence people with words, to carry out
explanatory work, to avoid having to turn off their gas. We work in
close rapport with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, we have had
numerous attacks on our inspectors”, Butayev said.

At the same time, gas rates have risen by 15% since April 1st.
“Kavkazregiongas” plans to reorganize the structure of relationships
with consumers, while reducing staff. Inspectors will no longer
collect cash for gas consumed. Addressees will pay for the services
themselves at post offices, banks or through the united
information-computing center. This may reduce cash levies, since 84%
of cash received was from inspectors.

Of the five republics united under the auspices of “Kavkazregiongas”,
63% of gas consumed last year in North Ossetia was paid for, behind
Karachay-Cherkessia (95%) and Kabardino-Balkaria (70%). However, North
Ossetia is leading in the first months of 2010.

The main problem of “Kavkazregiongas” are relations with its
contractor ,VMUP “Teploviye Seti” (Heat Networks). “Teploviye Seti”
owes 1.6 billion rubles, 600 million of which are owed by the
Vladikavkaz branch alone. If this issue remains unresolved the city
will end up without heating. Kaspolat Butayev called on people to be
conscientious: “Debts to public utilities turn into city-wide debts,
and if a city ends up without heating, both law-abiding payers and
non-payers will be affected. Even pensioners that pay for public
utilities straight after receiving their pensions may be left without
heating.”

Tamara Buntury, Vladikavkaz. Exclusively for VK