ArmInfo.Gas tariffs for some groups of consumers will increase slightly in Armenia. On June 8, Garegin Baghramyan, chairman of the Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC) of the Republic of Armenia stated this in an interview with reporters.
According to him, PSRC will made the final decision on the tariffs during the current month, but Garegin Baghramyan found it difficult to specify an exact time period.
He noted that it was unlikely that the Commission proposed rates to undergo changes, but discussions on them continued. Gazprom Armenia proposed setting an average tariff of $ 283 per 1,000 cubic meters instead of the current tariff of $ 255, and the Commission insists on $ 266.7. At the same time, as the head of PSRC noted, the price of gas for individuals will not change, rates will increase only for greenhouses, processing enterprises and organizations that consume more than 10 thousand cubic meters of blue fuel (thermal power plants, Ed note).
Garegin Baghramyan stressed that negotiations are underway with Gazprom Armenia on the projected tariff as part of the company's 10-year investment program worth about $ 500 million. He noted that a large package of the investment program is being prepared and the company wants to know the projected margin for the coming years. In many ways, the margin will depend on the gas price at the border. Garegin Baghramyan found it difficult to name the forecast price at the border for the coming years, since this issue is not the responsibility of the PSRC. At the same time, he noted that any agreement can be changed, and this depends on the will of the parties, in this case, the governments of Armenia and Russia.
It should be noted that at present, Armenia is purchasing gas from Russia at a price of $ 165 per 1,000 cubic meters, which, in the opinion of the Armenian side, is an unreasonably high price.
According to the information posted on the PSRC website, the Commission proposes to maintain the final tariff for individuals in the amount of 139 thousand drams per 1 thousand cubic meters blue fuel versus 135 thousand proposed by Gazprom Armenia. The PSRC also considers it necessary to leave unchanged the tariff for socially disadvantaged segments of the population - 100 thousand drams per 1 thousand cubic meters. At the same time, the tariff rate for gas consumed by greenhouse farms will increase slightly. In particular, instead of 283.14 drams proposed by the gas monopolist, PSRC proposes to establish a tariff of 224 drams instead of 212 drams at present. For agricultural processing enterprises, instead of 212 drams, the Commission currently considers the option of 224 drams acceptable instead of 283.14 drams proposed by the company. Tariff for natural gas up to 10 thousand cubic meters. sold to thermal power plants will remain the same - 139 thousand drams per 1 thousand cubic meters instead of the proposed companies 135.9 thousand drams. For consumers who consume more than 10 thousand cubic meters per month, the tariff will be set at $ 255.92 instead of $ 283.14 offered by Gazprom Armenia CJSC.
