Opposition MP Accuses Armenian Authorities of Attempting to Seize “Electrical Networks”
YEREVAN, July 1. /ARKA/. MP from the opposition Armenia faction Anna Grigoryan, speaking at an extraordinary session of parliament on Tuesday, accused the country's authorities of attempting to seize Electric Networks of Armenia CJSC.
The owner of ENA CJSC, president of Tashir Group Samvel Karapetyan has been under arrest since June 19 on charges of "public calls to seize power" after his words in support of the Armenian Apostolic Church amid attacks by the authorities.
"The agenda of the (parliament) meeting includes an issue of strategic importance, which is proposed to be discussed in 24-hour mode - the process of seizing ENA, which will have an extremely negative impact on the overall investment sphere. The question arises - why urgently? The answer is the well-known statement by Samvel Karapetyan in support of the Armenian Church, which caused urgency in the government,” MP Anna Grigoryan said in parliament.
Addressing the authorities, Grigoryan said that even if “you jump into the sky and come down to earth, this is still a bill to seize the ENA.”
About the bill
The National Assembly of Armenia on July 1 is discussing amendments to the laws “On Energy” and “On the Public Services Regulatory Authority,” which provide for the initiation of administrative proceedings by the Public Services Regulatory Commission of Armenia against an operator in the energy sector.
It is proposed to establish the duties of the authorized government body to send a message in the event of a particular risk of licensees’ activities in this area and to determine the consequences of such a message; to determine the possibility of applying preventive measures when initiating proceedings against licensees in the energy sector; to establish the procedure and features of applying preventive measures.
The submission of this bill to the parliament was preceded by the statement of the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan about the intention to nationalize "Electric Networks", "quickly and "effectively" taking them under state management.
About "Electric Networks of Armenia"
Electric Networks of Armenia CJSC is part of the Tashir Group of Companies, which is owned by entrepreneur and philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan. ENA manages medium and low voltage distribution networks in Armenia, serving about 1 million subscribers.
Since 2016, Tashir Group of Companies has invested about $680 million in the modernization of "Electric Networks of Armenia" alone, and another $150-200 million was invested in the creation of new capacities. By 2034, it is planned to increase the total volume of ENA investments in the energy system of Armenia to 540 billion drams.
