YEREVAN. – The Prime Minister of Armenia held a discussion Monday, and with respect to the matter of increasing the price of electricity in the country, Hraparak daily reported.

“First, they discussed the least amount they can raise the price of [electrical] energy so that a wave of discontent would not rise, but the ENAs [i.e. the Electric Networks of Armenia company] are able to operate, too.

“The beneficiaries claimed that increasing the [electrical] energy price by 6-7 [Armenian] drams [per cubic meter] is inevitable due to a number of factors including the dram-dollar ratio; they cannot give way beyond that. And it was decided that the electricity prices [in Armenia] will rise by 6-7 drams. 

“It was previously announced that the [electrical] energy price may increase by 17 drams [per cubic meter]. [But] now, they have stopped on 6-7 drams hoping that a wave of protest would not rise,” Hraparak wrote.