Armenian NA discussing candidacy of PSRC chairman 

ArmInfo. Discussions on the  candidacy of the Chairman of the Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC) began at the plenary session of the National Assembly of Armenia on November 15. The ruling Civil Contract faction  nominated Mesrop Mesropyan for this position.

According to RA Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Gnel Sanosyan, Mesropyan graduated from the Faculty of Energy of the Polytechnic University, receiving a degree in thermal energy engineering. He worked at Armenergo CJSC and ArmRosgazprom  CJSC. In 2019, by the decision of the RA National Assembly, he was elected a member of the PSRC, where he worked until November 2020,  after which he was the governor of Kotayk region until May 2021. 

Since 2021, he has been working at the Accounting Center CJSC as General Director. Sanosyan noted that the KRCS faces serious challenges, but the state has clarified priorities in the sphere of public services, including legislative regulations on tariff policy  and rules of the game. Sanosyan noted that Mesropyan's political activity has been frozen. He expressed confidence that the candidate  will be able to work well as the head of the KRCS.

At the same time, he found it difficult to indicate the reasons for the resignation of the former head of the PSRC Garegin Baghramyan, which followed immediately after a government meeting dedicated to  problems in the energy sector. Sanosyan noted that Baghramyan had submitted a resignation request and now the parliament needs to  decide on a new candidate.On October 11, the Chairman of the Public Services Regulatory  Commission of Armenia Garegin Baghramyan resigned, the reason for which is not reported. Baghramyan held this post since April 2019, and was previously Deputy Minister of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources.

On the same day, October 11, Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures of the Republic of Armenia Hakob Vardanyan, who oversaw the energy sector, also resigned from his post. The simultaneous resignation of the two officials gives reason to assume that the authorities are dissatisfied with the situation in the electric power sector, in particular, in the issue of frequent power outages.