Canada backs Moldova on winter energy crisis and utility spikes
Canada will assist Moldova in managing winter energy challenges, Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand told Moldovan Foreign Minister Mihai Popșoi during a bilateral meeting in Toronto, as domestic utility rates surge.
Anand reaffirmed Canada's commitment to delivering targeted assistance in priority sectors, according to a press release from the Moldovan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The two officials also reviewed progress on a bilateral social security agreement signed on March 13, which will enable citizens to combine pension contributions across both nations once in force.
Popșoi expressed gratitude for Canada's long-standing financial and technical cooperation, emphasizing Chișinău's broader strategic trajectory.
“We have a clear objective: to bring the Republic of Moldova into the great European family,” Popșoi said. “We have made significant progress and continue implementing reforms required for EU accession, while attracting foreign investment and boosting exports remain national economic priorities.”
Regional stability was also high on the agenda amid Russia's ongoing war of aggression against neighboring Ukraine. Popșoi called for expanded bilateral defense cooperation and technical support to enhance Moldova's resilience against hybrid threats.
Funding gap looms over winter heating subsidies
External support is increasingly urgent as Chișinău faces high seasonal expenditures. The Moldovan government estimates it needs between €113.9 million and €118.9 million (approx. 2.3–2.4 billion MDL) to fund its nationwide on-bill energy compensation program throughout the upcoming cold season.
Moldova's 2026 state budget currently allocates €27.2 million (approx. 550 million MDL) for heating support. Prime Minister Vasile Tofan noted that authorities are counting on international development partners to bridge the remaining funding gap.
During the previous heating season, more than 620,000 households received monthly subsidies ranging between €25 and €50 (500–1,000 MDL). Minister of Labor and Social Protection Natalia Plugaru stated that the minimum monthly payment will likely remain at 500 MDL, with maximum support caps adjusted based on available international financing.
Regulator hikes household gas and heating tariffs
The call for donor backing follows steep utility price increases that threaten to strain household finances. On September 28, the National Agency for Energy Regulation (ANRE) approved a retail natural gas hike of nearly 6 MDL, lifting the consumer price to €1.29 (approx. 26.14 MDL) per cubic metre, including value-added tax.
Centralized district heating costs were also adjusted upwards across major urban centres. In the capital, customers served by municipal supplier Termoelectrica will pay €175.25 (approx. 3,539 MDL) per gigacalorie with 8% VAT included.
In the northern municipality of Bălți, the regulator established CET-Nord's heating tariff at 3,374 MDL per gigacalorie before tax, bringing final consumer rates to roughly €180.45 (approx. 3,644 MDL) per gigacalorie.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
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