ZAGREB, May 24 (Hina) - Croatia has opted for an open market even when it comes to power products, Economy Minister Goranko Fizulic told reporters in Zagreb on Thursday presenting a package of power bills. The chairman of the board of
the national power utility company HEP, Ivo Covic, refuted at the same news conference claims to the effect that HEP objected to reforms. HEP fully supports a reform of the power sector but thinks the bill's text should explicitly stress the responsibility the government and the company have in meeting the public duty to ensure power for every citizen and make the system function reliably, he said. The reform will make the state retain ownership over the transfer of electricity, said Fizulic. He does not believe HEP will get competition in the distribution network considering the small Croatian market. Fizulic and Covic agree the price of electricity will not incr
ZAGREB, May 24 (Hina) - Croatia has opted for an open market even
when it comes to power products, Economy Minister Goranko Fizulic
told reporters in Zagreb on Thursday presenting a package of power
bills.
The chairman of the board of the national power utility company HEP,
Ivo Covic, refuted at the same news conference claims to the effect
that HEP objected to reforms. HEP fully supports a reform of the
power sector but thinks the bill's text should explicitly stress
the responsibility the government and the company have in meeting
the public duty to ensure power for every citizen and make the
system function reliably, he said.
The reform will make the state retain ownership over the transfer of
electricity, said Fizulic. He does not believe HEP will get
competition in the distribution network considering the small
Croatian market.
Fizulic and Covic agree the price of electricity will not increase
at present. The economy minister was firm in asserting so. He
announced the possibility of enabling 15 companies which are big
power consumers to freely obtain electricity from the most
favourable sources, including from export.
The five power bills, on power, the regulation of power services,
and on electricity, gas and oil and oil products markets, are
debated by parliament today. The bills are expected to be passed in
June or July. Parliament should debate bills on the privatisation
of HEP and the INA oil industry in September or October.
(hina) ha sb