Skopje, 15 November 2022 (MIA) – Minister of Environment and Physical Planning Naser Nuredini said he believes that businesses should continue using gas in order to avoid moving to less environmental alternatives such as diesel and mazut. He claims that there are sufficient quantities of gas. “There is enough gas, I am saying this because I am coming from the investment sector, we all know that there is enough gas,” said Nuredini. However, he said that there are procedures that must be passed in the Ministry, and thus far, according to him, around five big companies have requested a change in permit to be able to use diesel in case of a gas shortage. “If companies have an A integrated permit, they have to request for it to be changed and the procedure takes around three months. First, we have to assess if the change is in line with the law,” said Nuredini. He reiterated that businesses should continue using gas, because, he said, everything that is cheaper is not necessarily good for the citizens. “I ask that everyone is aware and that we do not regress,” said the Minister and added that the Ministry’s experts will assess whether it is possible to change permits. Nuredini said that despite the energy crisis, everyone should be aware of the impact on the environment. “Unfortunately, there is pollution, however if we compare it to past years we can see that there is less air pollution. This means that our policies are having a positive effect. I cannot say what will happen tomorrow, but I have to say that we are currently in an energy crisis and I have an understanding for the most vulnerable citizens, but I urge awareness from all the institutions, the private sector and the citizens,” said Nuredini. ad/sk/