Armenian National Assembly Speaker Galust Sahakyan is holding a closed discussion today ahead of the parliamentary hearings on the energy rate. According to ArmInfo's data, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Yervand Zakharyan, the Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA) CJSC leadership, and Head of the Public Services Regulatory Committee Robert Nazaryan are invited to the meeting.
According to ArmInfo's sources in the parliament, the speaker will consult the heads of the authorized agencies on how to present the situation with the rising power rate at the June 12 parliamentary hearings so as not to anger the public even more.
After the meeting, the public services watchdog Yervand Zakharyan is expected to meet with the parliamentary factions.
On May 8, Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA) CJSC submitted an official application to the Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC) of Armenia to raise the electric power tariffs. ENA (subsidiary of Inter RAO) suggests increasing the daytime tariff to 58.93 AMD versus the current 41.85 AMD, and the nighttime tariff - to 48.93 AMD versus the current 31.85 AMD. The Public Services Regulatory Commission 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". 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.