In protest at energy rate increase activists of "Against Robbery" movement have booed and whistled in front of the Armenian Government Building. They were shouting the slogans "No to Robbery" and "We owe nothing to anyone". Earlier on the protestors have booed and whistled the premises of Ministry of Energy.
To note, there have been no incidents during the protest march. Several thousand people (mainly the youth) have gathered to express their dissatisfaction. Several score people have gone on a sit strike in Freedom Square.
To remind, on May 8, the Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC) of Armenia received an official application from "Electric Networks of Armenia" (ENA) CJSC for raising the electric power tariff. ENA (subsidiary of Inter RAO) suggests increasing the daytime tariff to 58.93 AMD per 1KW/h versus the current 41.85 AMD, and the nighttime tariff - to 48.93 AMD from the current 31.85 AMD. The PSRC may consider ENA CJSC's application for 80 working days. In case the Commission satisfies ENA's request, it will become the third rise in the electricity tariffs for the past 2 years. In July 2013 electric power rose in price from 30 to 41.8 AMD, with the nighttime tariff growing from 20 AMD to 31.8 AMD. The second rise in the tariffs (by 4 AMD) was registered in summer 2014. The authorities of the country (in the person of Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Yervand Zakharyan) are trying to shift the blame for the growth in tariffs to the "poor management of ENA CJSC and misappropriation". To recall, Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Iosif Isayan said that ENA CJSC borrowed USD 220 mln against the guarantee of the Armenian Government. Consequently, if the company is unable to repay the loan, these obligations must be assumed by the taxpayers.