During a question-and-answer session with government officials in parliament today, head of the Bright Armenia faction Edmon Marukyan said there are many alarms according to which people’s electricity, gas and water are being shut down due to late payments of utility bills and primarily gas.

According to Marukyan, even though people have to pay their utility bills for the month of February, there are people who receive work per day and are currently unemployed. “Is the government going to help these people solve these problems?” Marukyan asked.

In response, Nikol Pashinyan said the following: “It’s clear that the topic of social and economic support is one of the most pressing issues in this period of time, but I would like to express the government’s approach according to which the support must be addressable,” he said, adding that the government’s actions are aimed at making sure the support is targeted and is addressed to the right people.

“The crisis is going to end, and the government needs to report its expenditures. Why should public servants not pay their utility bills when they receive salaries? As far as the question regarding shutdowns is concerned, the Commandant has reached an agreement to make sure there are no shutdowns. The Commandant has also reached an agreement with Gazprom Armenia,” Pashinyan said.