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PARLIAMENT TO CONVENE HEARINGS ON SETTING UP AD HOC COMMISSION TO LOOK INTO GAS PRICING MECHANISM
ARKA
March 1, 2011
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, March 1, /ARKA/. Vahan Hovhanesian, a parliament member
from the Armenian Revolutionary Federation/Dashnaktsutyun faction,
who made a motion today to set up an ad hoc commission to make a
probe of how the national natural gas system works, said hearings
on the motion will be held in the parliament prior to March 21,
when the next session may put it to vote.
He said the parliament speaker and head of a standing committee on
economic issues also agreed to convene the hearings and look into
the expediency of setting up an ad hoc commission.
Vahan Hovhanesian said not only representatives of ArmRosGazprom
natural gas operator, but also government members responsible for
determining gas price will be invited to attend the hearing.
He said the hearings and setting up an ad hoc commission would benefit
all and today's discussion of the problem showed that parliament
members realize its importance.
Armenian and Russian presidents agreed last Friday that the price
of natural gas in Armenia this year will not rise after they met in
Russian Saint Petersburg.
Russian Gazprom that holds more than 80% in Armenia's national
gas operator ArmRosGazprom, raised the cost of gas for Armenia by
14 percent in 2009 and by another 17 percent in 2010 April to $180
per thousand cubic meters. Following it the Armenian Pubic Services
Regulatory Commission (PSRC) approved a 37.5 percent surge in the
gas price for households requested by ArmRosGazprom. Last September
Gazprom said it would gradually bring its gas tariffs for Armenia,
Moldova and Belarus up to "market-based" international levels in
the coming years. Gazprom currently sells gas to western and Central
European countries for over $300 per thousand cubic meters.
From: A. Papazian
ARKA
March 1, 2011
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, March 1, /ARKA/. Vahan Hovhanesian, a parliament member
from the Armenian Revolutionary Federation/Dashnaktsutyun faction,
who made a motion today to set up an ad hoc commission to make a
probe of how the national natural gas system works, said hearings
on the motion will be held in the parliament prior to March 21,
when the next session may put it to vote.
He said the parliament speaker and head of a standing committee on
economic issues also agreed to convene the hearings and look into
the expediency of setting up an ad hoc commission.
Vahan Hovhanesian said not only representatives of ArmRosGazprom
natural gas operator, but also government members responsible for
determining gas price will be invited to attend the hearing.
He said the hearings and setting up an ad hoc commission would benefit
all and today's discussion of the problem showed that parliament
members realize its importance.
Armenian and Russian presidents agreed last Friday that the price
of natural gas in Armenia this year will not rise after they met in
Russian Saint Petersburg.
Russian Gazprom that holds more than 80% in Armenia's national
gas operator ArmRosGazprom, raised the cost of gas for Armenia by
14 percent in 2009 and by another 17 percent in 2010 April to $180
per thousand cubic meters. Following it the Armenian Pubic Services
Regulatory Commission (PSRC) approved a 37.5 percent surge in the
gas price for households requested by ArmRosGazprom. Last September
Gazprom said it would gradually bring its gas tariffs for Armenia,
Moldova and Belarus up to "market-based" international levels in
the coming years. Gazprom currently sells gas to western and Central
European countries for over $300 per thousand cubic meters.
From: A. Papazian