ARMENIAN GOVT TO STOP SUBSIDIZING NATURAL GAS PRICES

Interfax News Agency
April 15 2008
Russia

Armenia’s government will end its current subsidizing of natural gas
prices on May 1, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said on Tuesday.

"By its subsidies, the government has been trying to mitigate the
negative effects of the rise in gas prices and enable the population
and enterprises to get ready for the new prices," Sargsyan told
a briefing.

New gas prices approved by the Utilities Regulation Commission will
be in force from May 1, the prime minister said.

He also said his government was planning preparations for the 2008/
2009 winter.

"We have set ourselves the goal of protecting the needy strata of
the population from problems that will be caused by the rise in gas
prices," he said.