Citizens hold march in Yerevan against electricity tariff rise (video)
Scores of citizens gathered at Liberty Square in Yerevan on Thursday evening for a public discussion and to decide their future steps to prevent electricity tariff rise in Armenia. People think that the price increase is ungrounded and is simply ‘a whim of authorities.’ They stress that the electricity price rise will result in rise in prices of essential commodities, escalate migration, and cause other problems. “We are not going to pay off their accumulated debts, all calculations and reasons they bring are ungrounded. In fact they want to rob us under the guise if charity,” said the citizens. Civil activist Max Sargsyan told A1+ that they are going to resort to all lawful methods to curb the unjustified price increase in electricity rates. “The debt was accumulated under yet unknown circumstances though citizens make monthly payments. But they are not satisfied with this, they want to rob people, they want to have more income. If they failed to perform their obligations and did not repay their debt, it is their own problem and should not be bound to citizens,” he said. Environmentalist Levon Galstyan proposes to set up working groups consisting of 10 -15 people who will inform people of the situation and urging all citizens to refuse to pay electricity bills. Vice Speaker of the Heritage party Armen Martirosyan, a number of public and political figures were also participating in the discussion. The Electric Networks of Armenia CJSC has submitted a bid to the Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC) asking the PSRC to revise electricity tariffs and raise the prices by 17 drams. The discussion was followed by a march through central Yerevan.
