The government has reduced natural gas tariffs for religious organizations to the same rate offered to the general public

The Cabinet of Ministers has accepted the decision to lower natural gas prices for communal uses by religious organizations to the rate offered to the general public. The proposal was accepted during a government meeting on September 3, 2009, as reported by the Institute of Religious Freedom (IRF), located in the city of Kyiv. As the governmental press service reports, the offer of lower prices will substantially decrease the expenses of religious organizations and will allow them to make timely payments in full for their use of natural gas. According to the IRF, the decision by the government was met with approval by representatives of different confessions, who had gathered together on the same day for the meeting of the Secretariat of All Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations to analyze the findings of a recent meeting between heads of confessions with Prime Minister of Ukraine in July of this year. The question of decreasing natural gas tariffs for religious organizations was proposed by a separate governmental commission, which published their proposal after this meeting. It should be noted that the government has deliberated the lowering of gas taxes for religious organizations since 2002, only recently reaching a decision. When the representatives of the All Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations met with Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko on July 13, 2009, Tymoshenko declared that the government would reach a logical conclusion over the question of granting public utilities for Churches according to prices that are set for the general population. “This is an important matter for churches and religious buildings, and that is why we will see to it that it is resolved,” Tymoshenko promised the spiritual leaders of the country. Until this time, religious organizations had been paying the same amount for gas,as industrial enterprises. For comparison: the cost of natural gas for the industry is about $310 for a thousand cubic meters while the price for the general population is about 402-622 Hryvnyas (about $51.50- 79.7 dollars) per thousand cubic meters, depending on the volumes of consumption.

www.irs.in.ua