Gas tariffs for Russian households will rise 5% instead of an earlier planned 25% Jan. 1, the Interfax news agency said Thursday, citing Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
Putin said growth in household and industry gas prices shouldn't exceed 16.3% in 2009.
Under an initial plan, industrial gas tariffs were set to rise 20% Jan. 1, with household charges to jump 25%.
But amid Russia's worst financial crisis in 10 years, the government has been forced to slow the elimination of subsidized tariffs for both gas and electricity.