OREANDA-NEWS. February 27, 2009. The debt of natural gas consumers from the South Federal District requires that immediate measures be taken to resolve the situation, Mezhregiongaz, part of Gazprom, said in a press release quoting participants of the meeting devoted to issues of reliable gas supplies to consumers of the South Federal District and ensuring gas payments attended by the gas monopoly’s spokespersons and deputy presidential envoy to the South Federal District.

Deputy Gazprom Chairman Valery Golubev said that long-term problems in the Russian regions are low level of payments in the North Caucasus republics, significant volume of losses and unauthorized gas consumption which create imbalance in the gas distribution system, difficulties in the process of pursuing a uniform technological policy due to the large number of gas distribution organizations and a large number of ownerless facilities in the gas distribution system.