ORINATS YERKIR PARTY TO FURTHER STAND FOR IDEA OF TARGETED COMPENSATION FOR GAS TARIFF GROWTH

ArmInfo
2010-04-30 15:50:00

ArmInfo. Orinats Yerkir Party will further stand for the idea of
targeted compensation for the gas tariff growth, Hovhanness Margaryan
(Orinats Yerkir Party) , Head of the Armenian National Assembly
Commission for Territorial Administration, said at a briefing in the
parliament on Friday.

He said that residents of highly mountainous regions and the
disaster zone must be provided with higher pensions and benefits
as a compensation for the rise of the gas tariff starting April
1. In response, Finance Minister Tigran Davtyan called inexpedient
development of criteria not differentiating population categories. "I
raised this issue at the last four-day session of the parliament and
the finance minister replied that the issue would be discussed during
future sessions. If in Amasia and Ghukasyan winter lasts for 8 months
a year, the local population is reluctant to spend 4-5 times more on
heating," H. Margaryan said. He believes that increasing the size of
pensions and benefits to the residents of these regions will not cost
much to the budget, especially taking into account the continuing
housing provision in the disaster area. "The number of temporary
sheds where residents have to consume more gas will decrease," he
said. To recall, the government adopted a decision Friday to increase
the basic pension by 2.5 thousand drams (almost by 11%) starting Nov
1 2010 and social benefits by 3,000 drams (nearly 15%) starting May
1 to recompense rise of the gas tariff (from 96 to 132,000 drams).