
ArmInfo. The Electric Networks of Armenia company has been stripped of its license so it could become yet another company financing the Civil Contract party during the elections and to maintain power, as stated by Narek Karapetyan, coordinator of the "In Our Way" movement and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Tashir Capital CJSC.
"Those were the Electric Yerevan's time. People took to the streets to protest against rising electricity prices. Like every summer, Samvel Karapetyan (the arrested president of the Tashir Group of Companies - ed.) came to Armenia. It seemed to have become a tradition, and each time we discussed an important issue facing the country with him. For example, one year he subsidized gas bills for all citizens of Armenia, a fact that I will talk about later, and it is not widely known. During that year, the head of state asked him to buy Armenia's electricity networks to prevent outages and the system from freezing due to debt.
I remember a conversation between my father and my uncle at our home. My father was against the idea, advising us all not to do it, He believed that such a sensitive area for the people as electricity supply cannot not be vulnerable, and people dissatisfied with this structure, which cannot be ideal, can transfer their dissatisfaction to the family, and the crumbling company will become a burden for us.
I remember my uncle's words: even if we don't succeed in improving the company's situation, we will allocate $15 million a year and consider it a charity for Armenia. After much discussion, the decision was made to acquire it. Through years of hard work, the once nearly bankrupt company was now among those with a rating higher than Armenia's state rating according to Moody's. Of course, the work wasn't and couldn't be perfect; this is an area that will always be vulnerable. But such a leap from a bankrupt company has its reasons: sound economic management, calm, quiet, and low visibility. Ten years have passed, and the local government is grateful to Samvel Karapetyan. When we say that Pashinyan only thinks of his power, and Samvel also thinks of you, we are right," Narek Karapetyan noted.