No change in gas prices envisaged until early next year

Polish Oil and Gas (PGNiG) plans to extend its current tariff rates until the end of the year, with the new one taking effect at the beginning of 2005. The firm has already submitted the necessary documents to the Energy Regulating Office (URE) to explain its reasons. "The main reason to delay the change in the tariff is the ongoing process of adjusting the Energy Law to EU standards," claims Marek Kossowski, PGNiG president. Only afterwards will it be possible to create a new operating tariff and the tariff for the transmission unit of PGNiG. According to unofficial sources, the new tariff envisages increasing rates for some groups of clients and lowering them for others. However, "I do not exclude the possibility of leaving all the rates unchanged," explained Kossowski. (Puls Biznesu, pp. 1, 7) M.M.