RA ENERGY MINISTER: RISE IN PRICES FOR NATURAL GAS IN ARMENIA FROM MAY 1 NOT TO REFLECT ON COUNTRY’S ECONOMY

arminfo
2008-04-16 11:32:00

ArmInfo. Rise in prices for natural gas in Armenia from May 1, 2008,
in view of termination of state subsidization will not reflect on the
state of the country’s economy, RA Energy Minister Armen Movsisyan
said in an interview with RA Public TV.

He said that the subsidies of $188.8 mln, received from sale of the
fifth power unit of Hrazdan TPP, ended in January, 2008 in view of
an unexpected high gas consumption. However, even after termination
of subsidization, the gas prices in Armenia still remain the lowest
in the region, the minister said. In fact, the gas price in Armenia
for those consuming up to 10,000 cub m of gas per month (mainly
the population) will grow by 25,000 drams per 1000 cub m to 84,000
drams. For commercial consumers using over 10,000 cub m of gas per
month, the price will rise by $52,01 to $153,26 per 1000 cub m.

A. Movsisyan also said, for comparison, that the gas price in
Azerbaijan, using its own gas, makes up $250, in Georgia – $270-305,
in Turkey – $307.