ARKA News Agency, Armenia
April 7 2006

KOCHARYAN: GAS PRICE FOR ARMENIANS UP NO MORE THAN BY 10-15%

YEREVAN, April 7. /ARKA/. Gas price for the population of Armenia
will rise no more than by 10-15%, as the RA President Robert
Kocharyan stated during the interview to the RA Public TV-Channel.”We
must understand that no where gas costs $54 for 1thsd cubic meters
any more and the Commission for Regulation of Public Services had to
approve new prices”, Kocharyan emphasized.
In his words, nevertheless the RA Government did its best to
extenuate negative consequences of rise of gas price for the
population.
“I think that we have found the solution and during several days the
Government will make a decision”, Kocharyan stated.
He also emphasized that together with the Russian side the RA
Government will accomplish the investment program on the 5th block of
the Hrazdan heat power plant (HPP), as a result of which we will get
additional funds for compensating expenses of the population during
coming 3 years.
“Meantime construction of the 5th block of the Hrazdan HPP will be
finished, at the expense of which we will get higher efficiency
factor. It means that the same volume of electricity will be produced
from the lesser volume of gas”, Kocharyan emphasized.
In his words it will enable to pursue tenderer price policy toward
the population of the republic.
>From April 1, 2006, Armenia pays Russia $110 for 1thsd cubic meters
of gas, against past $56.
According to the decree of the RA Commission for Regulation of Public
Services, since April 10, 2006, the monthly fee for gas has been
increased from AMD 59 thsd to AMD 90 thsd for the population
(including VAT), and for subscribers, using more than 10 thsd cubic
meters per month – from $79,1 to $146,51 in AMD equivalent. S.P.
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