Abkhazia fails to pass law prohibiting privatization of energy
Privatization of energy in Abkhazia
In Abkhazia, the parliament has failed to adopt the law “On Strategic Objects of the Republic”. According to the authors of the document, it was supposed to protect energy facilities from privatization.
During the last session of the outgoing People’s Assembly, the draft law “On Strategic Objects of the Republic” was submitted by Deputy Alkhas Dzhinzholiya, who strongly opposes the idea of denationalization of the energy industry.
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The document failed to gain enough votes to be adopted in the second, final, reading.
Considering that the new composition of the parliament, which will begin its work next week, is openly pro-presidential, this was probably the last attempt by the opposition to prevent the government from solving the acute energy crisis experienced by the republic in recent years by denationalizing both generating substations and transmission networks.
According to the submitted draft law, in addition to property under the control of law enforcement agencies, the document also included energy facilities (including Ingur HPP) as strategic facilities.
Under the draft law, state-owned strategic facilities were not subject to privatization.
Many experts believe that after the bill was rejected, the government, with the help of a new parliament loyal to it, will amend the current energy law in order to remove the remaining obstacles to the denationalization of the energy industry.
The authorities of Abkhazia have been trying for several years to cope with the energy crisis, the main reason for which was the spread of cryptocurrency mining. The opposition believes that the privatization of energy facilities will lead to their transfer into the hands of Russia.
