Bulgarian businesses have no explanation for the gas prices established by Bulgargaz and approved by the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission since the beginning of the year, the Association of the Organizations of the Bulgarian Employers (AOBE) said in a statement released on 27 March. According to AOBE, the differences between prices in Bulgaria and the exchange rates in Europe cause the Bulgarian economy to incur an additional monthly cost of BGN 42 million or about BGN 125 million in the February-April period.
AOBE said: "It is clear that we started purchasing more expensive gas than Western Europe, and the gap is widening every month. Also, it is unclear whether any measures have been taken to mitigate the effect of the expensive quantities of gas pumped into Chiren, the main generator of the high prices."
According to AOBE, the growing differences in natural gas prices, at a time when the market situation in Europe is improving, will impair the competitive position of Bulgarian industries and slow down economic growth. The Association demands immediate measures to reduce the gap between the spot price and the price for Bulgarian business consumers.