What happened in the economic life of Armenia two days ago is called shock in one word. Of course, everybody knew that the USD would be devaluated sooner or later but no one would think that the USD would leap that fast. Less than thirty minutes after the press conference of the CB chairman Artur Javadyan the notorious rate was fixed in the banks – USD 350:380. No one expected anything like this. If we push the spring tight on the ground and let it go it will leap up swiftly just like the USD. Meanwhile the normal person slowly lets the finger up so it doesn’t jump too far and gets lost. Our government was testing how high the spring would leap without thinking of the people. People around them were telling the government not to push the spring too tight and let it go slowly. “What spring? What about letting go?” the government would say and would add the number of fingers on the spring. Afterward they got tired (or maybe someone hit their fingers with a ruler). Even the ones, who were far from the spring, were harmed because the jump of the USD caused certain serious consequences. Seconds after the so-called correction of the currency rate the prices of all goods rose up. At that, if the increase of the price of imported goods would be comparably reasonable (although technically shouldn’t have happened because the stores are still selling the leftover goods) then the increase of the domestic egg price is absolutely illogical (unless the hens started to lay eggs with dollars). Despite the fact that the State Commission on the Protection of Economic Competition (SCPEC) declared that they are monitoring the stores hour by hour to prevent the unsubstantiated increase of prices but the prices don’t go down. For example, within 30 minutes the gasoline price reached 290 from 240 AMD per liter. People would carry goods from stores because they are in panic. The stores either shut down or increase prices. Moreover, the stores ask the citizens to stay calm. All this seems unclear and unclearness creates chaos. And unclearness was created by the government.
