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On July 28 at the RA NA Standing Committee on Economic Affairs presented a report on the further operation of “Nairit” Plant CJSC and feasibility studies. The studies were implemented by the experts of Jacobs Consultancy Inc. and summed up by the World Bank Yerevan Office.

The Committee Chairman Vardan Ayvazyan has informed that today the situation connected with the salaries of “Nairit” employees and other problems of the plant, as well as the results of the studies made by the World Bank are submitted, and in September or in October parliamentary hearings will be organized.

The RA Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Yervand Zakharyan has noted that the RA Government, stemming from the created situation, has applied to the World Bank for implementing an audit in “Nairit” Plant. In the Minister’s word, the financial problems of the plant have not begun recently: they have started still at the end of the 1980s and have increased year by year. By July 1, 2015 the debt of the plant was 126bn drams, out of which 5,6bn drams are the non-paid salaries.

Mr Zakharyan has assured that in contrast with the results of the research implemented by the World Bank and the given conclusion, the RA Government believes that the solution of the problems of “Nairit” Plant is not the dissolution, but the re-operation: the dissolution may cause more financial problems, than the re-operation.

The RA Minister of Energy and Natural Resources has stated that as a result of studies, the World Bank has presented recommendations, which cannot be a basis for the decision made by the Government.

The RA Government should make a decision together with the National Assembly. In his word, the Government will pay the salaries by the end of the month, and the remaining debts, will probably be frozen. In this way the investors will have opportunity to make investments for the re-operation of the factory.

The RA Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Yervand Zakharyan also answered the questions addressed to him by the NA deputies Samvel Farmanyan, Naira Zohrabyan, Margarit Yesayan and Tevan Poghosyan, which related to the dissolution of “Nairit” Plant, the former owner’s activities, financial problems and the re-operation of the factory.

Summing up the meeting, the Chairman of the RA NA Standing Committee on Economic Affairs Vardan Ayvazyan has noted that the problems of “Nairit” Plant can be solved only due to the investors, and the National Assembly will give opportunity for effective work through new laws.