ArmInfo. Two large electric networks of Armenia should not be owned by one owner. This was announced by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at a government meeting on June 1, speaking of the situation that arose in the High Voltage Electricity Network (HVN).
According to him, it is necessary to determine in the shortest possible time with further management of the wind farm, whether they will remain in trust management or go into private management. Obviously, Nikol Pashinyan went on to say that in case of transferring the wind farm to the trust management of a private company, the latter should not be bound by offshore companies and government officials. "High- voltage power networks, on the one hand, need investments, and on the other hand, we should think about the possibilities to reduce the country's debt burden," the prime minister stressed, pointing out the importance of a flexible and transparent solution to the issue.
Meanwhile, as explained in the explanations of the Minister of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources of the Republic of Armenia Artur Grigoryan, the refusal to trust the CJSC "High Voltage Electric Networks" does not concern the Tashir Group of Companies, but certain provisions of the trust management agreement. In particular, as explained in the clarifications received by the ArmInfo agency on June 1, in clause 1.2 of the agreement it is established that the trust in the company "Tashir Capital" is transferred not to the current management of CJSC "VES", but rights to shares of the company. This means that the state actually transfers the rights to property of strategic importance to a private person. In addition, in clause 4.2 the term of trust management - 25 years is stipulated. Both points, according to the minister, indicate that the terms of the agreement correspond not to trust management, but to privatization of the wind farm.
To recall, on May 30, Minister of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources of the Republic of Armenia Artur Grigoryan told journalists that the contract with "Tashir Capital" regarding the trust management of companies "High Voltage Electric Networks" was terminated.
According to him, the agreement contained provisions that the state did not like. In this connection, on the same day the company "Tashir Capital" issued a statement in which it informed about its refusal to manage the company "High-voltage electrical networks". The statement says: In 2017, at the suggestion of the Armenian government, negotiations began between the RA government and Tashir Capital JSC in order to transfer the management of High Voltage Electric Networks company to Tashir Capital. In order to reduce bloated expenses, Tashir Capital offered to conduct research and render appropriate consulting support to the management of the wind farm within 6 months. In particular, it was proposed to reduce current costs from $ 7 million to $ 3 million. In addition, it was suggested to take under strict control the manageability of the public debt of $ 520 million, which were involved in the form of loans to implement programs in the wind farm system. The principal position of Tashir Capital was to implement a more competent from the technical point of view of the management of the construction of a new high-voltage Armenia-Georgia transmission line worth $ 200 million (according to the latest calculations this amount could reach $ 240 million), thereby reducing its total cost to $ 70 million. As a result, the government would save about $ 130 million. The purpose of the transition to trust management was to improve management efficiency, optimize flow costs through pooling opportunities aspredelitelnyh networks and power networks. For the government, the most advantageous point was that in the event of the transfer of the "wind farm" to the "Tashir Capital" administration, the government would no longer bear the financial burden. The programs would be implemented with the help of funds raised by Tashir Capital, which would be attracted without state guarantees and, therefore, would not be liable to the state as a state debt. As a result of the consulting work carried out by "Tashir Capital" within 6 months, the interest rate on the credit program for the construction of the Iran-Armenia overhead line decreased, and about $ 6 million saved in the electricity tariff was saved.
