Public Services Regulatory Committee has left unchanged the decision to raise the electric power tariff starting 1 August 2014, oppositionist parliamentarian Aram Manukyan (Armenian National Congress) told reporters after the meeting of the Committee.
He said members of the opposition factions made reports at the meeting bringing arguments against rise of the tariff, but the Committee adopted the decision to raise the tariff.
Manukyan said that the ministers of finance, energy and economy were not present at the meeting, which means that they do not care about it. "They received a relevant instruction from the president's residence and no facts and arguments could influence the decision." Manukyan said. After the statement, the activists picketing the Committee building began crying out "Robert Nazaryan - Betrayer!" and demanded a meeting with him. Instead, Arshak Sadoyan went down to the activists and urged then to avoid radical steps.
To recall, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Armenia Yervand Zakharyan said in the parliament that the financial burden in the energy system is 18 billion drams (nearly $44 mln), which made the companies engaged in the field apply to the Public Services Regulatory Committee for a 10 % rise in the electricity rate. Head of the Committee Robert Nazaryan, in turn, told reporters that the tariff might be increased already in August. They plan to raise it by 3.8- 4.3 drams.