Lawmakers offer to reject ENA's bid
The Standing Committee on Economic Affairs of the National Assembly is holding parliamentary hearings on June 12 on the possible rise in electricity prices. The Chairman of the Committee, Vardan Ayvazyan, said at the beginning of the meeting that Yevgeny Bibin, Director General of Electric Networks of Armenia, could not participate in the hearings ‘for some reasons.’ Civil activists who have been holding a series of protests in Yerevan and other cities against the rise in electricity prices are not participating in the meeting, either. In the half-empty hall, one can see representatives of NGOs, Ervand Zakharyan, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Garegik Meklonyan, Deputy Minister of Economy, and Robert Nazaryan, Chairman of the Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC). In his speech, Mr Nazaryan said the press reports that the ENA is going to cover its expenses for luxury vehicles, lands and other unnecessary things do not correspond to reality. He added that in the result, the electricity rates will be increased by AMD 6,93. Speaking about Yevgeny Bibin’s latest speak in which he spoke about the company’s losses, salaries and profits, Mr. Nazaryan said the ‘ENA has violated the law of Armenia, taking short-term loans. Head of the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) Naira Zohrabyan said with his absence Bibin shoed disrespect for the Armenians and the National Assembly. Artsvik Minasyan, a lawmaker from the Armenian Revolutionary Federation –Dashnaktsutyun, suggested rejected the ENA’s bid to increase increase the electricity tariff by 17 drams per kWh and discussing the situation in detail. “Mr Minasyan, unless we find an alternative option to continue the continuity of the energy system, I shall not shoulder the responsibility to reject the bid,” said Robert Nazaryan.
