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No surprise but anxiety about the rise in price of gas
Anahit Danielyan
26-04-2008 13:33:25 - KarabakhOpen
`First the prices of food went up, now the gas bill. You don't know to
buy food first or to pay the bills on the monthly retirement benefit
that the government pays us. Hard though you may try, the pension is
hardly enough for bread and the bills. How are we supposed to live?'
said an elderly woman to us.
The rise in price of gas is now the most frequently discussed topic.
From May 1 the users will pay 84 drams instead of 65. Prime Minister
Ara Harutiunyan says the government cannot afford to subsidize the
difference. The citizens of Armenia who used to pay 59 drams because
the government of Armenia subsidized the price will not get a subsidy
any more.
`So what, says Lyudmila, 58 years, who has not been working for 5-6
years, why is subsidy impossible? They used to raise the money so why
is it a problem now? The government promises to raise the pension and
benefits, while the prices of food grow day by day. We can hardly make
both ends meet.'
`We are lucky that they raised the bill now and not in winter, thanks
God we survived the winter. God knows what we will be doing next
winter. We will have to count what is cheaper, gas, wood or
electricity. Our government won't let us get bored,' Sergey, 46, says.
`The gas bill was not a surprise, moreover, there will be more
surprises for Russia manages the gas sector in Armenia. It is amazing
how the Armenian government gave the pipeline Iran-Armenia to Russia,'
said a worker of a privately-owned company.
Anahit Danielyan
26-04-2008 13:33:25 - KarabakhOpen
`First the prices of food went up, now the gas bill. You don't know to
buy food first or to pay the bills on the monthly retirement benefit
that the government pays us. Hard though you may try, the pension is
hardly enough for bread and the bills. How are we supposed to live?'
said an elderly woman to us.
The rise in price of gas is now the most frequently discussed topic.
From May 1 the users will pay 84 drams instead of 65. Prime Minister
Ara Harutiunyan says the government cannot afford to subsidize the
difference. The citizens of Armenia who used to pay 59 drams because
the government of Armenia subsidized the price will not get a subsidy
any more.
`So what, says Lyudmila, 58 years, who has not been working for 5-6
years, why is subsidy impossible? They used to raise the money so why
is it a problem now? The government promises to raise the pension and
benefits, while the prices of food grow day by day. We can hardly make
both ends meet.'
`We are lucky that they raised the bill now and not in winter, thanks
God we survived the winter. God knows what we will be doing next
winter. We will have to count what is cheaper, gas, wood or
electricity. Our government won't let us get bored,' Sergey, 46, says.
`The gas bill was not a surprise, moreover, there will be more
surprises for Russia manages the gas sector in Armenia. It is amazing
how the Armenian government gave the pipeline Iran-Armenia to Russia,'
said a worker of a privately-owned company.