Political games or real help? Disputes around the growth of tariffs in Narva
The City Assembly of Narva at an extraordinary meeting instructed the mayor of the city of Katri Raik to negotiate with the government of the Estonian Republic and find ways to cope with the rapid increase in heating tariffs. The deputies also accepted the text of appeal to the government.
The document prepared by the coalition and the document proposed for voting was sent to the Prime Minister of Estonia Kristen Michal. The Narva Gazeta gives excerpt from circulation.
“The City Council of Narva asks for help from the government of the republic.
We were inspired to send this letter to your words on the eve of Independence Day that the government is intended not only for management, but primarily created to protect our common agreed values. We are sure that this principle is the most important that you, as a person, citizen and prime minister, intend to adhere to.
At the end of February, the residents of Narva received a notification of the new maximum tariff for central heating-124 euros for Megavatt-hour. The new tariff will enter into force on April 1. Since 2023, the maximum price has actually tripled, ”the statement said in the text.
“We insist that each solution and each action should have a real result”
“It is necessary to take into account the social situation in Narva – on March 1, there are 3345 unemployed working age in the city, and the level of wages is one of the lowest in Estonia. In addition, one cannot ignore the age composition of the population of the city and aspects of internal security, ”the deputies of the city assembly pay attention.
The application was accepted in 15 votes. There were no abstracts and voted against.
Acute criticism
Nevertheless, the opposition took advantage of the opportunity to collapse with criticism of the mayor and coalition.
“It is unclear why an extraordinary meeting is held on Monday and begins at two in the afternoon, when people are at work. I can’t imagine how our school principals should come here, because at that time a check organized by the Ministry of Education is undergoing in their schools, and the inspectors come without warning, ”said the leader of the opposition Alexei Evgrafov.
The vulnerability of such a situation later involuntarily confirmed the mayor-Katri Raik noted that the order, supported only by the 15th votes out of 31, is not a powerful political step.
Evgrafov also noted that on the agenda there is only one question – an appeal to the government of the republic and instructing the mayor to solve the problem of growth of tariffs for heating. “I must say right away that our faction, the Center Party, is very serious about this problem. However, we insist that each solution and each action should have a real result. Today's draft decision does not offer this. The text of the appeal is blurry and uncomplicated, ”says Evgrafov.
In addition, he accused the coalition of the fact that an extraordinary meeting is actually a pre -election event. “In our opinion, only the political game of Mikhail Stalnukhin and the election campaign that began, behind which there is no real desire to solve the problem,” Evgrafov concluded.
Two -edged stick
The second, the second Mikhail Stalnukhin suggested that the opposition would have resorted to criticism in any case. “You are opposing the appeal and negotiations today, and otherwise they would reproach us with inaction. This is a stick about the two ends, and the coalition chooses the end that is more convenient for, ”he said.
The mayor of the city noted that the formalization of the mandate for negotiations theoretically makes its position in negotiations stronger. “Yes, improving the living conditions of citizens is already my work. Now, however, I also have a formal order to conduct negotiations on heat tariffs, ”Raik said.
According to the results of the decision, Katri Raik will have to report on the work done on this issue no later than August 1.
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