‘BJNI’ MINERAL WATER PLANT TO RESUME PRODUCTION IN LATE FEBRUARY – EARLY MARCH, 2009

ArmInfo
2009-02-20 12:50:00

ArmInfo. "Bjni" Mineral Water Plant" CJSC will resume production
in late February – early March, 2009, the new owner of the plant,
businessman and parliamentarian Ruben Hayrapetyan said at the
press-conference in Yerevan, Friday.

He said the enterprise’s acceptance act will be held soon, after
which the required volume of investments in the production will be
specified. He also added that the old production lines were functioning
at the plant which need to be renewed. According to R. Hayrapetyan,
he is not going to cut the plant staff, especially under conditions
of the global economic crisis.

"Bjni" was acquired during a repeated electron auction for 4,441
bln drams ($14,5 mln.) instead of the initial 4,9 bln drams ($16
mln). The Armenian authorities arranged sale of "Bjni" as tax claims
to the total sum of 4.1 bln drams to be collected in favour of the
state were laid to the company as a result of inspections. However,
some people connect the sale of the plant with political prosecution
of its former owner Khachatur Sukiasyan who openly supported the
oppositional candidacy of the first President of Armenia Levon
Ter-Petrosyan at February 2008 presidential election.

When asked by journalists whether R. Hayrapetyan feels remorse in
view of acquisition of "Bjni", the businessman replied: "I have
bought the plant from the state and I think I am right. This is a
profitable business and no one forced me to do this step’ (Pressure
of the incumbent Armenian authorities is meant here). He confessed
that he always was in bad relations with K. Sukiasyan, however, he is
not afraid of a threat of massacre by the latter for purchasing the
plant. The call of a businessman, the leader of "Prosperous Armenia"
party Gagik Tsarukyan not to take part in the auction selling did
not stop him either.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress