ArmInfo.The accusations of the Armenian regulator in abusing the company "Veolia Jur" by its dominant position in the water supply market are false and unfounded. This is stated in the statement of the company, received by ArmInfo agency.
On November 7, the State Commission for the Protection of Economic Competition fined the operator of the water supply system of Armenia, the company Veolia Jur, for 20 million drams. According to the regulator, the operator purchased and installed over 30 thousand water meters at inflated prices. It all started with the fact that the Armenian-German company for the production of water meters applied to the regulator, saying that because of the illegal actions of "Veolia Jur" it was ousted from the market and ceased production. It turned out that Veolia Jur, importing water meters and using its status and market position, did not allow other companies to participate in tenders for the purchase of instruments. And the process of purchasing water meters was not transparent, as a result, competitors of the water operator remained "overboard". In addition, water meters imported by the operator in some cases were purchased at inflated prices. So, in 2017, the average price for the devices purchased by the company was 8400 or 9500 drams, depending on their type. At the same time, the average price of devices on the market varies from 3 to 7 thousand drams. As a result, in just one year the company overpaid for the purchase of water meters for 100 million drams, presenting this in documentation as investment expenses. The regulator considered that "Veolia Jur" showed inappropriate behavior by purchasing water meters at inflated prices and having the opportunity to purchase them in the local market at regular prices.
However, according to "Veolia Jur", the charges of the commission came as a complete surprise, since "Veolia Jur" in its activities guided by the requirements of the laws of Armenia. The company regrets that the decision of the commission was made without the participation of its representatives and management. The operator of the drinking water system rejects all the allegations, believing that Veolia Jur, a subsidiary of Veolia Group, which has 160 years of experience, to implement the quality of services, high standards and procurement rules, has a clear policy relationships with reliable companies with the necessary experience and a rich convincing history. From the company "Veolia Jur", which is part of the world's leading operator, everyone expects the widest possible use of international best practices and the provision of available technologies. Based on these requirements, the company's activity is aimed at the use of goods of the highest class and modern technologies for the benefit of the country and its subscribers. The company "Veolia Jur" is committed to its maximum responsibility for its subscribers and for this reason, it will never make concessions on the security of water supply services, wastewater disposal and water quality. In this regard, Veolia Jur will challenge the decision of the regulator, using all the possibilities provided for by the legislation of the Republic of Armenia.
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