Armenian premier refrains from revealing details of pledged 30-percent gas cost subsidizing
23.05.2013,
22:04
Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan didn’t told journalists today how the government intends to subsidize the increase in price of imported Russian gas by 30 percent.
YEREVAN, May 23. /ARKA/. Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan didn’t told journalists today how the government intends to subsidize the increase in price of imported Russian gas by 30 percent.
On May 16 the premier said that the government will, subsidize the increase in price of imported Russian gas by 30 percent.
The negotiation with Russia is under way now, Sargsyan said, and nothing can be said until the negotiation is over.
“The negotiations are not completed so far, and I have no right to reveal details,” he said.
In recent days, ArmRosgazprom and Transgaz LLC asked the regulator to revise upward the current tariff for Russian natural gas. They want to raise the price for consumers using up to 10 thousand cubic meters a month from current 132,000 drams per one thousand cubic meters (including VAT) to 221,000 drams.
Armenia currently buys 1,000 cubic meters of Russian gas for $180.
Garegin Baghramyan, chief of the Public Services Regulatory Commission’s pricing policy division, on his side, said that natural gas consumers who spend up to 10,000 cubic meters a month may pay 156 drams instead of the 221 drams reported earlier, if the government subsidizes the cost.
ArmRosgazprom CJSC, established in 1997, enjoys the sole right for importing and distributing Russian natural gas in Armenia.
Russia conveys its gas to Armenia through Georgia.
The company’s shareholders are Russia’s Gazprom and the Armenian government. -0-
