The return of "KazTransGas-Tbilisi" to Kazakh side may again be postponed

Almaty. March 18. Silkroadnews - Return of the Tbilisi gas distribution company "KazTransGas-Tbilisi" under the control of the Kazakh side can again be postponed, reported Trend.
"The term of office of the Georgian commission management company, will expire on 1 April. But, predictably,the terms will be extended, and before April 1 the extension of the powers will be discussed",- quoted the Deputy Minister of Energy of Georgia Mariam Valishvili.
According to her, the transfer of control in "KazTransGas-Tbilisi" to Kazakh side will be possible only when the parties agree to pay existing debt to the Ministry of Finance of Georgia.
Negotiations are ongoing, and in 2015 were held bilateral meetings between representatives of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia and the Kazakh side, said M. Valishvili.
However, according to her, the agreement still has not been signed.
Recall Kazakhstani "KazTransGas-Tbilisi" became the owner of the assets of the Tbilisi gas distribution company "Tbilgazi" after winning the investment competition in May 2006. The investor paid for the company $12.5 million.
In 2009, the Georgian National Regulatory Commission of Energy and Water has appointed a special manager of "KazTransGas-Tbilisi". The reason for the change of leadership became the company's debt of 80 million lari (1 lari = $ 2.2).
As previously reported, in Tbilisi, in the course of the next Kazakh-Georgian intergovernmental commission on bilateral trade and economic cooperation in the autumn of last year was signed a settlement agreement between the JSC "KazTransGas" and JSC "Bank of Georgia", according to which the debt of "KazTransGas -Tbilisi" in the amount of $10 million with penalties and interest were written off.
Another important step towards resolving the contentious issues became an agreement on restructurization of the debt of "KazTransGas-Tbilisi" to the Ministry of Finance of Georgia in the amount of $34 million, which was formed in 2008-2009 for the supply of gas to the "Oil and Gas Corporation of Georgia".
The total length of the gas distribution system Tbilisi is more than 2.4 thousand km, including 232 km of high, 810 km of medium and 1372 km of low pressure. The company "KazTransGas-Tbilisi" serves over 300 thousand subscribers, including 4.9 thousand facilities for domestic purposes, as well as up to 500 large industrial enterprises.