YEREVAN.  - Armenian government wants to increase the petrol excise tax without consulting with the oil-product importers, Barsegh Beglaryan, owner of Flash LLC, one of the two largest petrol importers to Armenia, told Armenian News – NEWS.am.

“I don’t know why they decided to do so. Who has asked me? I also think it doesn’t hurt to ask. But they don’t even ask you,” Beglaryan said.

“If the excise increases, prices will also go up, which of course, is undesirable. But the government seems to itself decide what it wants,” he noted.

According to the new excise scale proposed by the Ministry of Finance, petrol excise is proposed to be increased from 112 to 120 thousand AMD per tonne ($253), while diesel gas oil will go up from 32,5 to 35 thousand (approx. $74). It has also been proposed for the first time to set gas excise tax in the amount of 8330 AMD for 1 thousand cu m (approx. $17,5).

Because of such an unpopular measure as tax increase, the Armenian parliament has postponed the consideration of the bill till fall.