YEREVAN. - The Armenian Government is studying the substantiation of petrol prices in the republic.

Armenia’s Deputy PM Vache Gabrielyan, who is also the Minister of International Economic Integration and Reforms, stated the aforementioned in parliament today, responding to the question of Levon Zurabyan, leader of the Armenian National Council (ANC) faction.    

According to Gabrielyan, the Cabinet has already addressed the State Commission for the Protection of Economic Competition over the issue. “A number of factors can be explained by transportation expenses and the possibilities to choose deliveries. Nevertheless, the Government has already set a task to study the issue more thoroughly,” Deputy PM said.  

On January 14, Chairman of the aforementioned Commission, Artak Shaboyan, stated that in 2015 petrol in Armenia got cheaper by 13 percent. Nevertheless, oil continued to get cheaper much faster over the last year (it was $50 per barrel then, whereas now it is $33). After the exemption of Russian oil products from export duties, Armenia actually shifted to using only Russian petrol, whose cost value includes significant share of taxes.