KIEV, April 23 - The government’s plan to skip natural gas price hikes for households this year is a “big mistake” that will be opposed by the International Monetary Fund, Ihor Umanskiy, a former finance minister, said Friday.

Umanskiy reacted to comments by President Viktor Yanukovych that the government will not be hiking gas prices now that Russia has agreed to provide a 30% gas price discount.

“From the point of view of the oil and gas system, this is a big mistake,” Umanskiy said in an interview with the Radio Liberty. “There can’t be a situation when people in Ukraine buy gas at prices lower than what people pay in Russia.”