Activists disagree with choice of company to audit Armenian grids

The board of the civil movement "Arise, Armenia!" calls to restart mass protests in Yerevan, since the company chosen by the authorities to conduct an audit of electric grids is openly cooperating with the government.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that starting June 17 Yerevan hosts mass protests against the decision to raise the electricity tariff from August 1 by 6.93 drams per 1 kW/h. President Serzh Sargsyan stated that the company "Electric Grids of Armenia" will be audited; and till the end of the audit the government will take over the burden of the increased tariff. On July 16, the board of the initiative group "Arise, Armenia!" was formed, which demands a complete cancellation of the increase of electricity tariff.

On August 13, the Prime Minister Ovik Abramyan said at a governmental sitting that the audit of the Armenian electric grids will be conducted by the Deloitte & Touche, which in Armenia is represented by Deloitte Armenia. On August 17, the board of the "Arise, Armenia!" issued a statement expressing distrust to the chosen company, which undertook to examine the situation in the country's energy sector within 16 weeks.

"We believe that this consulting company is unable to objectively examine the formation of electricity tariff, because is not neutral to the Armenian government," says the statement of the "Arise, Armenia!"

Since 2013, the Deloitte Armenia has been providing the auditing services to a number of organizations closely associated with the government and the "Armenian Electric Grids", including the pension funds, the State Fund of Securities, the Agency for Insuring Exports, and the "Lujs" Cultural, Scientific and Educational Foundation. The findings of the above consulting company will lead to the situation, when in the coming year residents of Armenia will pay for electricity at a higher tariff, activists are sure.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.