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Seasonality As a Political Factor
A country in a vulnerable geopolitical and economic situation must
envisage in its policies possibilities for the mitigation of seasonal
and other force majeures of nature and climate and political factors.
Armenia needs to improve the reliability and autonomy of key sectors
and services of livelihood. One may list a number of specific measures
relating to fuel and energy facilities, utilities, food production,
food storage and processing. However, there are problems with funding,
it is time to have reserve funds to cover unplanned costs in the
periods of peak and seasonal overload.
This winter demonstrated that the facilities and resources of the fuel
and energy facilities are not sufficient for stable and successful
heat supply. The income of a considerable part of the population, even
the so-called middle class, is not enough to cover heating bills.
The majority of the Armenian population preferred individual heating,
and it is not known whether this approach that is mobile in technical
terms is effective. Even `not so expensive natural gas' which
underlies the social policy did not resolve the problems. The majority
of average families paid 30-60,000 drams a month, which a lot of
people cannot afford.
Warm winters are followed by severe winters which cause serious
dissatisfaction with prices. In this regard, it is time to create a
national fund for compensation of heating bills of households. It is
clear that the gold and currency reserves are established according to
specific rules and are not intended for such purposes. A Cold Winter
Fund could be formed from different sources and used in accordance
with the rules.
This was practiced during the decades of hardship that followed World
War II in relatively developed countries of Europe. Identification of
risks and methods of their management must be part of the economic
policy.
Igor Muradyan, Political Analyst
19:08 18/01/2014
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/index/eng/0/country/view/31749
A country in a vulnerable geopolitical and economic situation must
envisage in its policies possibilities for the mitigation of seasonal
and other force majeures of nature and climate and political factors.
Armenia needs to improve the reliability and autonomy of key sectors
and services of livelihood. One may list a number of specific measures
relating to fuel and energy facilities, utilities, food production,
food storage and processing. However, there are problems with funding,
it is time to have reserve funds to cover unplanned costs in the
periods of peak and seasonal overload.
This winter demonstrated that the facilities and resources of the fuel
and energy facilities are not sufficient for stable and successful
heat supply. The income of a considerable part of the population, even
the so-called middle class, is not enough to cover heating bills.
The majority of the Armenian population preferred individual heating,
and it is not known whether this approach that is mobile in technical
terms is effective. Even `not so expensive natural gas' which
underlies the social policy did not resolve the problems. The majority
of average families paid 30-60,000 drams a month, which a lot of
people cannot afford.
Warm winters are followed by severe winters which cause serious
dissatisfaction with prices. In this regard, it is time to create a
national fund for compensation of heating bills of households. It is
clear that the gold and currency reserves are established according to
specific rules and are not intended for such purposes. A Cold Winter
Fund could be formed from different sources and used in accordance
with the rules.
This was practiced during the decades of hardship that followed World
War II in relatively developed countries of Europe. Identification of
risks and methods of their management must be part of the economic
policy.
Igor Muradyan, Political Analyst
19:08 18/01/2014
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/index/eng/0/country/view/31749