Armenian government intends to subsidize part of electricity costs to population

YEREVAN, June 25. /ARKA/. Armenia’s government will consider, at its meeting today, subsidies for electricity costs to some 105,000 poor families or a total of 400,000 people, premier Hovik Abrahamyan said.

Additional subsidies per family will amount to 24,000 drams or an annual of 2.5 billion drams in Armenia, the head of the government said.

The government should think about relieving the stress from the electricity increase for the population, according to Abrahamyan.

The government estimates show an Armenian family consumes 200 kilowatt per month on average, the premier said. This means an extra burden of some 1,400 drams per month will occur for each family, he added.

The premier urged the State Commission for Protection of Economic Competition to remain focused on producing companies to prevent price rises following the electricity price increase.

According to the decision of June 17 of Armenia’s Public Services Regulatory Commission the electricity price for consumers will go up by about 1.5 cents or 16.7% to about 10 cents per kilowatt-hour, as compared to 40.8% increase asked for in the company’s bid warning that otherwise ENA will not be able to ensure the reliability of supply and investments levels.

Since June 19 ‘No To Plunder’ campaign participants have been holding demonstrations and sit-in in Yerevan against the rising electricity prices. Early morning on June 23, the police used water cannons to disperse peaceful demonstrators in Baghramyan Avenue that left 25 people injured. Baghramyan Avenue remains blocked.

Demonstrators demand to cancel Public Services Regulatory Commission’s decision to increase electricity tariffs by about 16.7% effective from August 1. ($1 – 472.56 drams). –0--