March 3, 2009 - 20:53 AMT
Armenia: counters become empty, supermarket directors wait for rise in prices
Today the Management of Star Supermarkets Chain suspended the trade because of foreign exchange market panic. The population is actively buying up essential goods and supermarket management is awaiting price raise. Star supermarket management refused to answer the questions of PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, yet noted that a price raise is to be expected in near future.

In another major supermarket , SAS, the management is not concerned about the current situation and stays assured that no serious problems are expected. No price change has been registered at SAS and Star supermarkets since the morning.

Current exchange rate at supermarkets is fixed at: AMD 350-395 to 1 USD, AMD 9-12 to 1 RR, AMD 420-505 to 1 EURO

According to State Commission for Protection of Economic Competition, a price raise for some products has been registered, information from major business entities received, warnings given, and legislation norms clarified which promoted a certain price raise control.


The dram-to-dollar exchange rate has gone up to AMD 360/$1 in few hours today against yesterday's 305 -310 index for sale and purchase respectively.

In the past days, the purchase of U.S. dollar was extremely limited.