THE SITUATION IS UNDER CONTROL

A1+
[08:18 pm] 03 March, 2009

"The RA Economic Competition Protection State Committee has seriously
taken market developments under control due to the return of the
floating policy of the dram rate," informed "A1+" press secretary of
the committee Armine Udumyan.

What steps are stores taking to prevent the sharp growth of
food prices? In response to that Udumyan said that she convened a
consultation today in the morning during which head of the committee
Ashot Shahnazaryan assigned staff employees to widen the monitoring
of first-hand products.

"The list of products subject to monitoring makes up 40 products
and the results will be summed up at the end of the day. The created
working group is taking certain steps based on the results by the hour
and has already registered rise of prices of certain products. The
group has received clarifications from big businessmen, made warnings
and price growth has been restricted," said Armine Udumyan.

Udumyan noted that it is not possible to say whether the store clerk
or store owner is responsible for the inflation. Udumyan said that
everything is under investigation and steps will be taken.

The RA Economic Competition Protection State Committee is calling on
all businessmen, especially big importers, retail traders, as well
as producers to refrain from raising prices based on the return of
the floating rate policy of the dram," as stated in the statement
released by the committee.

"The situation in the market is under control" assures Armine Udumyan.