Baku News

07-03-2006 Regnum News - During a meeting on energy problems Azeri President Ilham Aliyev instructed the presidents of Azerigas and Azerenergy to take measures to raise the rate of natural gas and electricity bill collection. REGNUM reports Azeri Economic Development Minister Heydar Babayev to tell journalists that the untimely payment of natural gas and electricity bills results in additional subsidies and growing inflation. In 2005, President Aliyev allowed the poor not to pay for gas and electricity. After the broadcasting of that meeting on TV, the collection rate sharply decreased. In 2005 the rate of collection of gas bills was only 20%, of electricity bills in the regions – 30%. For the moment, the rate of collection of gas and electricity bills makes up only 40% of their cost.