Armenian NGO head blames PSRC for ‘pre-ordained’ ruling
02.07.2014,
16:35
Ashot Mirzoyan, head of a non-governmental organization called Center for Protection of Consumers, has slammed today Armenia’s Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC) for ‘a formal discussion on increasing electricity tariffs for households’ at a July 1 meeting ‘because the decision had been pre-ordained.”
YEREVAN, July 2. / ARKA /. Ashot Mirzoyan, head of a non-governmental organization called Center for Protection of Consumers, has slammed today Armenia’s Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC) for ‘a formal discussion on increasing electricity tariffs for households’ at a July 1 meeting ‘because the decision had been pre-ordained.”
He said PSRC chairman Robert Nazaryan had not yet finished his speech justifying the hike when PSRC members raised their hands to okay the measure.
Nazaryan argued that the rise in electricity price would earn the Russian-owned Electrical Networks of Armenia (ENA) distributor 20 billion drams ($50 million) in additional annual revenue, which it could use to repay its debts to Armenian power generating plants, ‘otherwise ENA’s financial problems would jeopardize the country’s electricity supplies.”
On July 1 Armenia’s Public Service Regulatory Commission unanimously approved a 10 percent rate hike in residential electricity bills effective August 1, despite protests that often turned violent in weeks leading up to the decision.
The Tuesday’s decision will allow the Electrical Networks of Armenia to charge 41.85 drams per 1 kWh of electricity during daylight hours (from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.), up from the current 38 drams, and 31.5 drams for night hours (from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.), up from the current 28 drams. ($ 1 - 407.85 drams)..-0-
