Armenian government discussing how to shield the poor from impact of raise of utilities prices

YEREVAN, March 17. /ARKA/. Armenian government is discussing the steps to be taken to shield socially unsecured people from the impact of raise of utilities prices, Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said Wednesday in National Assembly.

He said that the Armenian government was thinking over the matter.

He said that a group had been set up for dealing with this problem.

A few possible steps are under discussion now.

The premier said that the results of the group’s activity will be made public and its decisions will be unveiled soon.

“We understand very well that Armenia is troubled by poverty problem, and support of low-income people is among the government’s top-priority focuses. There are appropriate provisions in the government’s activity program. More than that – we intend not to cut social projects and implement them fully. That’s one of key principles in our bailout program.”

Sargsyan said that the government was guided by this principle in 2009 and intends to find financial resources for solving social problems.

On April 1, 2010, natural gas price for Armenia’s consumers will be raised 37.5% from present AMD 96 to AMD 132, per one cubic meter.

Those consumers using more than 10,000 cubic meters of gas monthly will pay $243.13 per each 1,000 cubic meters instead of $215 presently.

In late February, Yerevan Jur water company appealed to the Public Services Regulatory Commission for authorization of water price raise from present 181 per one cubic meter to AMD 206.976. ($1 = 400.1).  --0--