Interfax has cancelled the statement on the sale of the Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA) to Tashir Group, explaining it by the erroneous issue of the company's press release, Vedomosti (Russia) reports.
The press release said that Tashir Group has signed an agreement with Inter RAO UES on purchase of the ENA and that the deal will be completed after the Armenian Government approves it and the Public Services Regulatory Commission take a relevant decision. According to the erroneous press release, the parties have agreed that the ENA and the Hrazdan thermal power plant will keep performing their obligations on a full scale.
On June 17, the Public Services Regulatory Commission took a decision to increase the electricity tariffs in Armenia at the initiative of the ENA. The decision sparked mass public protests. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said that the ENA would undergo an international audit and the Government would assume the burden of the tariff growth until the audit was over. Inter RAO started looking for a buyer.