Customers across Russia owe a regional subsidiary of the Gazprom gas giant 30.1 billion rubles ($455 million) in accumulated debt, the subsidiary told Russian media on Wednesday.
Last week, a court in the North Caucasus republic of Chechnya ruled to erase 9 billion rubles of its residents’ gas debts after local prosecutors warned of rising social tensions. After Gazprom appealed the decision and lawmakers in several other regions vowed to follow Chechnya’s example in asking for a write-off, federal prosecutors asked Chechen authorities Tuesday to reverse the ruling.
Gazprom Mezhregiongaz told the state-run RIA Novosti news agency Wednesday that Russian customers nationwide owed it 30.1 billion rubles as of Jan. 1.
Last month, the company said that the nationwide gas debt had stood at 37.9 billion rubles, RIA reported.
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