Increase in water tariffs blamed on inflation (video)
The increase in water tariffs is conditioned by inflation, says Artak Malkhasyan, Head of Legal Affairs and Customer Service Department of Yerevan Djur CJSC. “It is also caused by the rise in the costs of natural gas and electricity. Armenia experienced 5.8 percent inflation in 2013. The rise of tariffs for natural gas and electricity respectively had a major impact on the general inflation index and resulted in the rise of water tariffs,” he told reporters on Friday. On February 28, Yerevan Djur applied to the Public Services Regulatory Commission with a request to increase prices for retail water-supply, drainage and sewerage services from 170.256 drams per one cubic meter (VAT included) to 177.746 drams (VAT included). The Commission will determine the new tariffs after a thorough study within three months. The decision will enter into force in a month. Yerevan Djur is owned by France’s Veolia Enviroment SA, the biggest water services provider in the world. It operates in 66 countries.
