ARMENIAN EX-PREMIER CRITICAL OF ARMROSGAZPROM

news.am
Feb 24 2010
Armenia

"Why do Armenian gas consumers have to pay U.S. $341 for 1,000 cubic
meters if Russia gas will be purchased at U.S. $180 from April 1,"
the Armenian ex-premier, member of the Armenian National Congress
(ANC) Hrant Bagratyan told reporters. He considers unacceptable the
ArmRosgazprom Director’s arguments that the company spent much money
on installing gas-supply networks so the gas price has to be raised.

He reminded the journalists that ArmRosgazprom Director Karen
Karapetyan was recently invited to a function, with the admission fee
being â~B¤25,000. In this context Bagratyan said: "Who allowed you to
take part in such bourgeois functions and then include the money spent
in the price? What is the persons’ salary, what are their bonuses and
what expenses do they show? We are all ArmRosgazprom shareholders,
as 20% of the company belongs to the state. So we have the right to
demand that the information be available to us," Bagratyan said.

"Robert Nazaryan (the Chairman of the Public Services Regulatory
Commission) tells us to be content that the price was not raised a
year ago, whereas must defend our interests, not ArmRosgasprom’s,"
Bagaratyan said.

As regards the expected 40% rise in the gas price for ordinary
consumers, while large consumers will purchase it at a lower price,
Bagratyan stated that the prices are either equal or higher for large
consumers worldwide.

Speaking of the U.S. $40m Russian credit to Armenia, Bagratyan stated:
"U.S. $40 million was given to this guy, and he says: ‘So what? Funds
were available and we took them and returned later.’ State debts are
not given to enterprises. It must be done by means of the banking
system. It turns out that Russia actually issued a loan to its own
Armrosgazprom."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress