“Hairdresser” from Russia- obstacle for freight transportation (video)
Due to closure of Verin Lars (Upper Lars) checkpoint, Armenian exporters have sustained big losses. “Most of all villagers have been affected as they weren’t able to transport their harvest by their small vehicles and trucks, and there are many people, who throw away their harvest on the way,” say Chairman of Union of Exporters Raffi Mkhchyan. He offers the exporters, who transport small amount of goods, to unite their forces in order to transport the freight by one vehicle. The exporters, who were deprived of the land road, have to spend additional money for hiring a ferry, which makes the product more expensive. Raffi Mkhchyan says, “The rise in cost price obstructs the development of the economic relations. If today the cost price for a car using Lars is equal to X and Y must be added to it, that product isn’t beneficial anymore.” Freight forwarding “Apaven” company Director Gagik Aghajanyan explains in this way, “In this force majeure situation all the expenses are left on our economic entity. If formerly the transportation organization was able to carry out minimum 2-3 Yerevan-Moscow- Yerevan drives in a month, at present it will be implemented only once, so what about losses?” The checkpoint, which hasn’t been operating for more than two weeks, was closed due to rock fall and flood. In order not to be dependent only on Verin Lars, Armenia should have a personal ferry. “The transportation companies in Armenia operate with fixed tax, for one truck USD 300 is paid per month. Let’s take USD 50 from that USD 300 and establish a separate institution, NPO, which will accumulate all the means and we will have own ferry,” proposes Mr Aghajanyan. The problems of the exporters don’t end after passing the Russian-Georgian border. “After crossing the Georgian side our vehicles are accumulated and just in front of Russia they are subjected to the Russian corruption. When certain amount is collected, someone known as ‘hairdresser’ comes and starts collecting what he must collect and only after that that group is allowed to leave. It is shameful.” The Georgian side promises to open the checkpoint on July 6. But the final decision on opening the checkpoint depends on weather conditions.
