WHEN THE MINISTER IS UNAWARE
K. Beglaryan

Azat Artsakh Daily
09 Dec 08
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR

How To Supervise The Concessionaire Of The Railway

It is far not a secret that after handing Armenian railway over to a
concessionary management, the situation linked with the freights became
worse. "Hayots Ashkharh" has already touched upon this problem. And
it is absolutely not accidental that the director of "South Caucasian
Railways" was dismissed. According to available information he has
left Armenia. So he managed the works of the Armenian railways for
six months.

This cadre change one more time proves that after handing Armenian
railway over to concessionary management the state of the "South
Caucasian Railway" has mildly speaking become worse and the
facts linked with the activity of the leadership coincide with the
reality. By the way the latter didn’t even make any efforts to refute
the facts presented.

Instead, strange as it may seem, Minister of transportation and
Communication G. Sargsyan has committed himself to this mission,
who ex officio must supervise the activity of the concessionaire and
be aware of what is taking place there. But, for unknown reasons,
only after our publications did the Minister try to respond to the
management of the railway and the situation existing here, by the
way trying to justify the leadership of the co mpany.

G. Sargsyan even started to announce certain things proper to a person
quite unaware of that sphere and far not the Minister of Transportation
and Communication.

For example touching upon the price-policy the Minister announced
that the leadership of the company is not competent to set prices,
and the World Price Conference allegedly implements this work.

Is the Minister quite unaware of the regulation of prices in this
sphere?

Everyone is aware of the existence of this World Price Conference,
but the latter usually sets international and transit prices. Whereas
the conversation is about maximum prices. During those conferences,
which are convened yearly the participants usually discuss the
issue of the sales linked with the freights. Moreover the conference
particularly records that each country is competent to set its own
prices, according to the functioning laws.

And by the way it is natural. So the World Price Conference has
nothing to do with the internal prices of the railway. They are
associated with transit freights, but as we know, Armenia is not a
transit country. At least at this stage.

In our view the Minister must have known that the transit and
international maximum prices set by the Conference have nothing to do
with Armenia’s internal freights. On the contrary the recent price
changes in Armenian railway is exclusively the initiative of the
leadership of "South Caucasian Railw ays" and, by the way, illogical.

It is also strange that quite recently did G. Sargsyan decide to
establish subdivisions in the Ministry, which will be engaged in the
problems of the railway transport. Another committee will study the
issues linked with the freights. I wonder why didn’t they think about
it by now. These problems are not new, are they?

Before being dismissed from his position the director of the "South
Caucasian Railway" announced that 107 million dollars’ investment was
made during six month. But he didn’t say how they used this sum, but
we have already touched upon this topic. We would like to remind you
that they purchased dozen expensive cars and solved their accommodation
and vital problems. Some part of the money was used for the restoration
of the rolling-stocks, by the way, by exaggerated prices.

Instead of refuting or confirming those facts the Minister made vague
announcements, about something that he is quite unaware of.

So if this is the way to supervise the activity of the railway’s
concessionaire, then very soon it will face more serious problems.