OREANDA-NEWS. The Ukrainian party "Batkivshchyna" demands to declare a state of emergency in the energy sector due to the critical situation with gas reserves in the country and high tariffs for housing and communal services, party leader and deputy of the Verkhovna Rada Yulia Tymoshenko said on Monday.

This year, for the first time in Ukraine, tariffs for heat and hot water are set by the local government, not the central one. Mayors of a number of cities said earlier that the rise in gas prices would force them to raise tariffs for these services. In order to prevent tariff increases, the government and local authorities agreed to sign a memorandum, which, in particular, provides for subventions to compensate for part of the cost of heating.

"It is impossible to transfer responsibility for the power's helplessness in the issue of gas tariffs. Therefore, we must immediately begin to act to solve the collapse that already today negatively affects payments and can put people on the brink of survival," Tymoshenko said during a meeting of the conciliatory council of parliamentary fractions’ leaders.

According to her, the situation with gas reserves remains critical - "they simply may not be enough for the whole winter - and this topic requires special verification and punishment."

“At least 37 billion of gas can be pumped into storage facilities. In the summer it could have been done six times cheaper than now. Institutions, people, including industry, could be provided with gas prices six times cheaper than today. Gas not pumped in the storage facilities, losses will be covered from the state budget and from local budgets of Ukraine. Who will be responsible for this? Those responsible for disrupting the filling of gas storages were brought to criminal responsibility, "Tymoshenko said.

She also demanded the creation of a temporary commission of inquiry in the Rada, which would find out "who thwarted the plan to fill the storage facilities in the summer."