THERE WILL BE MASS MEETING IN APRIL BECAUSE OF GAS PRICES

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02:55 pm 14 March, 2006

6 non-governmental organizations dealing with the protection of
consumers’ rights created the Public Protectors’ Union (PPU) which
is going to arouse a revolt because of the increase of gas price.

The leader of the Company Aram Grigoryan claims that the increase is
not warranted and according to the decision of the Committee Regulating
the Social Services (CRSS) the increase is not fair. In today’s press
conference the PPU leaders declared that CRSS made a quick decision
without any economical grounds and public awareness. The organizers
of the press conference, the public protectors, had nothing to tell
the public either, except the bold announcement about “organizing
meetings in April” which was prompted by the journalists.

PPU member Abgar Eghoyan said, “We did not have such a question on
our agenda, to tell the truth, the idea of organizing such actions
was given to us by the media.”

PPU had no any economic calculations to argue the grounds of the gas
price increase by 31 drams. The executive director of the Company,
Aram Grigoryan said that it is not their task to make calculations,
their task is to aware the public that CRSS discussed “HayRusgasart”‘s
claim and made a decision breaking the law. He claims that the
committee had 3 days’ time to make a decision starting from the day
of receiving the case and it couldn’t make a complicated economic
analysis within the given short period.

The company director promised to call a round table at the end of the
month on the issue of the gas price increase having the calculations
of the experts in his hands. The Government and “HayRusgasart” company
are to participate in the discussion. Aram Grigoryan says that they
don’t care about their nonparticipation.

It is due to mention that PPU organized a meeting on March 1 on the
issues of gas-energy sphere investments, gasification and none of
the HayRusgasart’s 4 invited representatives came.