Yesterday Prime Minister Yurii Yekhanurov said that the current situation with natural gas will require the government to raise the price the general population pays for gas by 50%. Yekhanurov added that the 25% hike in gas prices on May 1st was just the beginning. Concorde Capital: Raising gas prices for the population to an economically meaningful level would improve the financial stance of Naftogaz Ukrayiny, which currently sells gas to the public more than twice below its cost, at USD 45.5/ths cm. Additionally making this move in the summer when the people use less gas should soften the initial blow to the population.