New PM says vulnerable consumers must pay less for electricity, gasSeptember 15, 2016 - 13:17 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan ordered on Thursday, September 15 that relevant agencies develop a strategy which would allow socially vulnerable people to pay less for electricity and gas at the expense of other consumers. Chairing a government session, Karapetyan told the Public Services Regulatory Commission, the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and that of Labor and Social Affairs “to team up for a logical mechanism.” He said, however, that the changes should be made not at the expense of the budget, but the businesses providing such services. So it wasn’t entirely clear whether non-vulnerable consumers or the businesses should pay the difference once a mechanism is created. Another of the issues the newly-appointed premier weighed in on was corruption. He said that new committees will be established to tackle the issue. But meanwhile, Karapetyan said, the State Revenue Committee should ensure the immediate implementation of tax regulations by major manufacturers and importers who are considered privileged. He said that tax inspections should be carried out exclusively in entities posing risk and checkups in small and medium-sized enterprises must be implemented only in extreme cases. Top stories Yerevan has dismissed Turkey’s demand to shut down the Armenian nuclear power plant as “inappropriate”. Armenia will loan 2.9 billion drams to Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh), according to a draft government decision. The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan has “strongly condemned” Armenia’s decision. Kerobyan has said that for the first time in the history of Armenia, the volume of foreign direct investments amounted to about $1 billion. Partner news | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel. Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. |