The ArmRusgazard CJSC and the Transgas LLC of the ArmRusgazard CJSC have requested the Public Services Regulatory Commission of the Republic of Armenia to raise the price of 10.0 normal cubic meters of natural gas being sold to consumers (subscribers) from former 132 000 drams to 221 000 drams. There is fear that the energy prices will also rise, since the Public Service Regulatory Commission has started the process of revising the prices of energy production and service provision by energy companies.
The officials responsible for the sphere also say that gas prices are expected to rise. For example, Robert Nazaryan, the chairman of the Public Service Regulatory Commission, stated today that “gas prices will surely rise.” Tigran Sargsyan, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, also said at a Cabinet meeting today that they would assist needy families, in order to alleviate the impact of the increase in gas prices on those families. www.aravot.am inquired during a conversation with experts in this field whether they predicted danger of a social explosion given this wide-spread increase in prices. Bagrat Asatryan, a former president of the Central Bank, linked the increase in prices with elections and, at the same time, ruled out danger of a social explosion. B. Asatryan explained this opinion of his as follows: “This government have depersonalized the people. If anyone ventures to publicly complain, that criminal Mob, which handed out money, will silence him. There will be no social shock.
“They may complain, protest and curse in their homes, but they will not make it public.” Despite the above-mentioned statements and the discussions that have started, Gagik Minasyan, a Republican member of the National Assembly and the chairman of the National Assembly Fiscal, Budgetary, and Economic Issues Commission, is not sure whether the gas prices will increase or not and urges us: “But will the prices of gas and energy increase? When the issue becomes clearer, we will talk about it. Now stop those activities!”
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
