Parliament Returns Draft Law on Utilities Regulator

The Verkhovna Rada sent the draft law on the National Commission for State Regulation of Energy and Public Utilities (NKRE) for amendment. This decision was supported by 258 MPs.

The draft law stipulates transparent competition-based appointment of NKRE members, independence of the Commission and openness of its activities. The Commission should consist of seven members, including its Chief. Its activities should be funded from a special line of the state budget from fees paid by energy and public utilities companies.

NKRE Chief Dmytro Vovk stressed the importance of this law.

Vovk also claimed that the Deputy Head of Petro Poroshenko Bloc Ihor Kononenko had repeatedly tried to interfere in work of the NKRE. He reported having rocky relations with Kononenko, because Vovk refused "to meet numerous dubious requests from Kononenko."

"A lot of people come to [Kononenko] with various requests, and he tries to re-translate these requests to me in drill sergeant voice. But fulfilling these requests is not part of my professional duties," Vovk asserted.

Vovk referred to the case when Kononenko tried to defend Dmytro Kriuchkov, ex-MP and CEO of Energomerezha. Later on, Kriuchkov was accused of embezzlement and put on a wanted list. He is allegedly affiliated with Hryhoriy Surkis.

Source: Ekonomichna Pravda