Armenia’s ex-premier speaks of price rise, fares, social movement
There is price rise of about AMD 65bn, with only AMD 5 to 6bn being the share of transport in Armenia, Hrant Bagratyan, an Armenian National Congress (ANC) group member, told Tert.am.
He is surprised at the fact that the public protested the latest fare rise alone.
“I feel both glad and sad about the movement. But was a 50-dram fare rise the problem? Aren’t we concerned over a 15% rise in the gas price or a 27% rise in the electricity price? Why an 18% rise in the gas price for the population and a 13% rise for large enterprises?”
“I think of why the authorities did not oppose the movement. No one says ‘do not raise the gas price’. If society has decided to organize a movement to resolve the problems, let them do so,” Bagratyan said. He is sure that such a movement would have very quickly be broken down if it had been organized by a political force.
Despite the claims that Armenia’s civil society is gaining strength and has gained victory, it has actually suffered defeat.
Asked if Armenia’s authorities just allowed the public to win the victory, Bagratyan said:
“I do not say there must be no price rise. But I do not perceive slavish thinking. Fares have not been raised for 15 years, and the self-cost may be high. The problem is for me why there is no compensation in the form of pensions and allowances.”
According to him, the protests should have been aimed at Armenia’s government rather than at the Yerevan Municipality.
“This is also evidence of silent and fierce struggle within the ruling circles. The Yerevan Municipality has proved to be a ‘weak link’.
The premier and the minister of transport are the first to be accountable rather than the Yerevan Municipality,” he said.
According to Bagraryan, the fare must be set on a competitive basis.
“When we come to power the fare will be lower. We are going to leave 50 to 60 percent of budget funds at the local level, without transferring them to the Ministry of Finance. It will be the right solution,” he said.
With respect to fares, Bagratyan said that competition will cause them to go down. Economic entities must have free access to and egress from the market.
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