DODIK: ELECTRICITY PRICES FOR HOUSEHOLDS WILL NOT INCREASE UNTIL MARCH

BANJA LUKA, OCTOBER 19 /SRNA/ – Electricity prices for households in Republika Srpska will not increase, and the leadership's primary goal is to ensure a stable energy supply so that sufficient quantities of electricity are available throughout the coming winter, President Milorad Dodik stated.

Dodik said that a possible adjustment of electricity prices would be considered inl March, which in Republika Srpska remain the lowest in the region. "If we had prices comparable to those in Croatia, for example, we would have an additional BAM 500 million in the power utility system and would not have a single problem. However, our goal is to ensure socially affordable electricity prices for the population," Dodik said at a press conference in Banja Luka. He noted that electricity prices for businesses would be revised. "We will discuss with our business community what constitutes a commercial price for electricity," Dodik said. He added that a plan would be developed by March, incorporating measures to ensure the long-term operation of Republika Srpska’s energy facilities. "We must conduct negotiations with suppliers and determine how to establish a continuous process in which everyone involved will be accountable," he said. Dodik stressed that electricity used for heating would be regulated through systematic measures, requiring those who use it for that purpose to pay the maximum market price. "There are mechanisms for this. If someone wants to heat their home using electricity, they must pay for it," Dodik said.