Groysman: Gas prices may be lowered if Ukraine stops importing gas

The price for natural gas in Ukraine may be lowered, if the country stops importing gas.

Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman said this during a Government Question Hour meeting on Friday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"We need to stop importing gas. We’ve focused on the program on increasing the Ukrainian gas production. Ukrgazvydobuvannya last year increased the production by 700 million cubic meters. The gas price is formed in accordance with market conditions," said Groysman.

He stressed that Ukraine could independently form the gas price within the country, if it starts exporting the resource, which is expected to take place in 2020.

"The government has no powers to regulate the price of commercial gas in the country. Thus, NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine is an absolutely independent state-owned company and makes decisions at its own discretion," Groysman added.

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