Gas and electricity prices might increase in Armenia - says economist (video)
Gas and electricity prices in Armenia depend on the dollar-euro relationship, and it is not excluded that by the end of the year the two organizations might request the Public Services Regulatory Commission to increase the tariffs. There are all grounds for it, economist Vahagn Khachatryan told A1+. He says Armenia's government and regulatory authorities should take steps in that direction. “They can negotiate with the Russian side that the Russian companies operating in Armenia – ArmRusGasArd and Electrical Networks, make their payments in the Russian ruble,” he said. The economist accounts the demand of the dollar for the sanctions imposed on Russia and the sharp decline in the value of Russian currency. “Devaluation of the Armenian dram will be especially felt by ordinary citizens,” he said adding that the prices of imported products will go up. Mr Khachatryan says things would be different if Armenia had a free competitive market. “We would feel the difference if the same product were not imported by one or two entities who determine market prices. In any case, the fluctuations first of all affect ordinary citizens,” he stressed. Samvel Zakaryan, Chairman of the Medicine Producers and Importers Union of Armenia, says the increase in drug prices is inevitable, as the country imports 90 percent of drugs. In the meantime, the Central Bank continues to insist that the fluctuations of foreign currencies will end soon and confirms its willingness to stabilize the situation.
