Over 300 people have gathered in front of the Public Services Regulatory Committee (PSRC) building protesting against rising electricity rate, ArmInfo's correspondent reports from the spot.
The people keep joining the picketers. The police officers and guard have blocked the entrances and surrounded the building. Deputy Head of the Yerevan Police Valery Osipyan says if the people approach the building, they will break the work of the Committee, where the final tariff will be approved today. Earlier, at the beginning of the action of protest, the Police did not allow the heads of several public organizations to the Committee meeting, as their names were not registered in the lists of the participants. However, under pressure of activists and after long negotiations, representatives of the public organizations were allowed to the building.
To recall, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Armenia Yervand Zakharyan said in the parliament that the financial burden in the energy system is 18 billion drams (nearly $44 mln), which made the companies engaged in the field apply to the Public Services Regulatory Committee for a 10 % rise in the electricity rate. Head of the Committee Robert Nazaryan, in turn, told reporters that the tariff might be increased already in August. They plan to raise it by 3.8- 4.3 drams.