Public utility tariffs will not change until the end of the year - Ministry of Housing and Communal Services

October 25, Minsk / Alexander Loyko - BELTA /. Belarus does not plan to change housing and utility tariffs this year. This was announced today at a press conference by Deputy Minister of Housing and Communal Services of Belarus Nikolai Lipen, a BELTA correspondent reports. "Next year, prices (for housing and utility services. - BELTA note) will depend on energy resources and the average wage level," the deputy minister noted. By the end of this year, the population's reimbursement of housing and utility costs will be about 25%. "When forming the budget for next year, it is envisaged that the population will pay 34% of the costs of producing housing and utility services. Everything else will be covered by independent organizations and subsidies from the state budget," said Nikolai Lipen. According to him, all planned work on the Minskkommhoz system has been completed for the current heating season. 12 mobile boiler houses have been prepared, and emergency crews and services have been staffed. Work to ensure high-quality heat supply to the housing stock and compliance with state standards has been significantly strengthened. Currently, almost all residential buildings are equipped with heat meters, which allows for automatic maintenance of the necessary temperature in apartments. In case of violation of the thermal regime, any citizen can contact organizations that must inspect the apartment or residential building and take measures to ensure the necessary minimum temperature, noted Nikolai Lipen. The heating system with individual heat metering, when used correctly, allows for savings of up to Br200,000 per apartment per heating season. At the same time, according to Nikolai Lipen, the existing heating system needs reconstruction. "Over the past 5 years, the volume of capital repairs has significantly increased. Of these, 30% is accounted for by thermal modernization of residential buildings. By 2015, it is planned to double the volume of capital repairs," the deputy minister stated. According to him, the use of new equipment in the construction of residential buildings will allow for a review of capital repair timelines. Insulation of individual apartments is carried out based on citizens' requests, taking into account the analysis of the premises conducted by the housing service. Currently, the cost of insulating one square meter of premises is about Br80,000. -0-