Romania will increase natural gas prices for industrial consumers by 5% from February, the head of the country's energy regulator was quoted as saying on Thursday, part of a wider plan to liberalise energy markets in stages by 2018, Reuters reports.

Bucharest approved the deregulation of Romania's power and gas markets last year as a requirement of the International Monetary Fund and the European Commission under an aid deal, and it will take place in phases for both industry and households. Gas prices for industry will rise three more times this year by roughly 11% overall. Households will see their gas bills rise twice.

Source: bne