In Armenia in 2011 the gas price will not go up. This was yesterday stated by the ArmRusGazArd chief executive, Vartan Harutiunyan, by adding that the government will subsidize a temporary price discount for tens of thousands of low-income families. “By the initiative of the Armenian president the gas price will go down for socially vulnerable families starting from April 1. According to preliminary data there are 49,500 families qualifying for subsidized gas but we are still clarifying our lists and maybe soon this number will go up. Given the average volume of gas consumption in Armenia, this means that the poor families eligible for the subsidy will have to pay the regular gas price by the start of the next heating season. Consumption levels rise drastically in winter months,” he said. Armenian households currently pay 132 drams per cubic meter of gas. The price for socially vulnerable families to be selected by the government will be set at 100 drams. The government clarified that the 24 percent discount will be limited to one year and will cover up to 300 cubic meters of gas used by a household during that period. By the way, Harutyunyan informed that this “discount” will be provided not at the expense of ARG resources but the means saved as a result of modernization of Yerevan’s HES.
