“Are they blowing air into gas or not?”
The ARF proposes the creation of an ad-hoc committee to follow up on the changes in gas, water and electricity prices.
"The gas from Surbud to Armenia costs as much as the gas coming from the border to our homes," ARF faction head Vahan Hovhannisyan announced at the National Assembly.
ARF MP Artyusha Shahbazyan was surprised to see that no government official attended the discussion of the bill. "I think this is done intentionally. For instance, I would like to inform that people are spreading rumors that there is a pump installed somewhere where 20% air is blown through. I would like a government official to say whether they are blowing air or not."
NA Chairman Hovik Abrahamyan informed Artyusha Shahbazyan that the government officials were not there because the National Assembly had not invited them, but that didn't convince ARF MP Artsvik Minasyan.
"I am surprised to see that the political majority is against our proposal." ARF MP Lilit Galstyan announced that by going against the proposal, the NA majority is impeding the parliament's control over the sphere.
ARF MP Ruzanna Arakelyan recalled that the government's gasification program is not being implemented in the villages. "Ninety percent of villagers don't have gas, but the government declares that socially insecure families should receive compensation. Are the villages where there is gasification, but the villagers don't use gas included in the list of families?"
Chairman of the NA economic affairs committee Vardan Ayvazyan demanded that the ARF deputies provide an explanation for accusing them of the policy they are leading. "We always talk about gasification, btu who can say how much the gasification expenses are included in the price for gas?"
In his concluding speech, Vahan Hovhannisyan said: "The problem is that Armenia receives the gas for 180 dollars on the border and sells it to the people for 360 dollars. It is a matter of approach. We say the government should give an evaluation."
Vahan Hovhannisyan says the government did not do a good job of explaining the importance of Armenia's role to the Russians; otherwise, the gas price wouldn't go up. "We think the creation of an ad-hoc committee is urgent."
