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  • When The Minister Is Unaware

    WHEN THE MINISTER IS UNAWARE
    K. Beglaryan

    Azat Artsakh Daily
    09 Dec 08
    Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR

    How To Supervise The Concessionaire Of The Railway

    It is far not a secret that after handing Armenian railway over to a
    concessionary management, the situation linked with the freights became
    worse. "Hayots Ashkharh" has already touched upon this problem. And
    it is absolutely not accidental that the director of "South Caucasian
    Railways" was dismissed. According to available information he has
    left Armenia. So he managed the works of the Armenian railways for
    six months.

    This cadre change one more time proves that after handing Armenian
    railway over to concessionary management the state of the "South
    Caucasian Railway" has mildly speaking become worse and the
    facts linked with the activity of the leadership coincide with the
    reality. By the way the latter didn't even make any efforts to refute
    the facts presented.

    Instead, strange as it may seem, Minister of transportation and
    Communication G. Sargsyan has committed himself to this mission,
    who ex officio must supervise the activity of the concessionaire and
    be aware of what is taking place there. But, for unknown reasons,
    only after our publications did the Minister try to respond to the
    management of the railway and the situation existing here, by the
    way trying to justify the leadership of the co mpany.

    G. Sargsyan even started to announce certain things proper to a person
    quite unaware of that sphere and far not the Minister of Transportation
    and Communication.

    For example touching upon the price-policy the Minister announced
    that the leadership of the company is not competent to set prices,
    and the World Price Conference allegedly implements this work.

    Is the Minister quite unaware of the regulation of prices in this
    sphere?

    Everyone is aware of the existence of this World Price Conference,
    but the latter usually sets international and transit prices. Whereas
    the conversation is about maximum prices. During those conferences,
    which are convened yearly the participants usually discuss the
    issue of the sales linked with the freights. Moreover the conference
    particularly records that each country is competent to set its own
    prices, according to the functioning laws.

    And by the way it is natural. So the World Price Conference has
    nothing to do with the internal prices of the railway. They are
    associated with transit freights, but as we know, Armenia is not a
    transit country. At least at this stage.

    In our view the Minister must have known that the transit and
    international maximum prices set by the Conference have nothing to do
    with Armenia's internal freights. On the contrary the recent price
    changes in Armenian railway is exclusively the initiative of the
    leadership of "South Caucasian Railw ays" and, by the way, illogical.

    It is also strange that quite recently did G. Sargsyan decide to
    establish subdivisions in the Ministry, which will be engaged in the
    problems of the railway transport. Another committee will study the
    issues linked with the freights. I wonder why didn't they think about
    it by now. These problems are not new, are they?

    Before being dismissed from his position the director of the "South
    Caucasian Railway" announced that 107 million dollars' investment was
    made during six month. But he didn't say how they used this sum, but
    we have already touched upon this topic. We would like to remind you
    that they purchased dozen expensive cars and solved their accommodation
    and vital problems. Some part of the money was used for the restoration
    of the rolling-stocks, by the way, by exaggerated prices.

    Instead of refuting or confirming those facts the Minister made vague
    announcements, about something that he is quite unaware of.

    So if this is the way to supervise the activity of the railway's
    concessionaire, then very soon it will face more serious problems.
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