Electricity and Gas Prices Not to Increase in May, Minister Claims

The prices of electricity and gas in Serbia will not increase in May, the minister of mining and energy, Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic, said today.

She said on TV Happy that the allegations that the price increases had been postponed due to the elections were not true.

– At the talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in November last year, it was concluded that no electricity and gas price increase was necessary in May 2024 – said Djedovic Handanovic.

The increase of the prices of those energy sources had been envisaged in the arrangement with the IMF.

The minister added that the reforms in the energy sector had continued and that what remained to be done was to appoint the Executive Board in Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS) which should determine where the efficiency within the company could be increased.

She pointed out that there would be efforts toward the further digitization in EPS and that the citizens would be able to monitor the consumption of electricity and pay their bills through a phone app not long after.

She said that, by 2026, EUR 300 million would be invested in the mechanization for coal mining and that only 10% of the needed amount was being imported at that moment and that the import would be reduced.

She also said that the project of the construction of the reversible hydro power plant Bistrica had been completed and that the preparation of the environmental protection study was in progress. She added that the power plant could be operational in 2031.

She said that the preparatory works for the construction of the hydro power plant Buk Bijela had been completed. The power plant is being realized in cooperation with Republika Srpska and its capacity will be 114 megawatts.

Ministarstvo rudarstva i energetike Republike Srbije

Međunarodni monetarni fond-MMF Beograd

Elektroprivreda Srbije ad Beograd

Ministry of Mining and Energy

International Monetary Fund

IMF

EPS

Dubravka Đedović Handanović

electricity

gas

electricity price increase

gas price increase

hydro power plant Buk Bijela

reversible hydro power plant Bistrica