Expert community criticizes the government for the rise in electricity and gas prices

Independent experts regard unjustified increase in tariffs for electricity and gas. This will provoke a new wave of growth in prices for consumer goods and services. One of the reasons for price increases  is  the mismanagement of public utilities,  said Samir Aliyev, the expert  of the Association to promote the economic initiatives.  There is no transprency in the activities of state agencies, and funds are spent irrationally. With decreasing support from the state budget, prices will rise. Therefore, the utility sector needs reforms and private sector involvement. First of all,  it itnecessary to  take away from SOCAR the gas distribution network and create a new company for its management. According to Aliyev, the next will be the transport sector, and soon there will be growth in this area.

The PFPA leader Ali Kerimli called the decision of the Tariff Council "anti-people". "This is another anti-national decision of the corruption of power. Gas prices have increased by 100%, electricity - 57%.

For the government  it is more importantto  spend millions on  all sorts of idle projects, appropriate funds through corruption, rather than to improve the  living standard of the population," said Kerimli. The government allows it because of the passivity of citizens.

"If all people support the slogan" No to the monarchy, the end to robbery! ", the authorities would not dare to raise the price  for gas and electricity, and spend the funds raised on the" Formula 1" or invest in Burkina Faso and other nonsensical things," Kerimli said.

Executive Secretary of the   REAL Movement,  the economist Natig Jafarli believes illogical reasoning powers on the growth of gas prices by the  increase of dollar rate and  the purchased equipment.

The BP company for many years has been transferring free to Azerbaijan  associated gas  in the volume 2.5-3 billion  annually. Why does not the poulation  gets this gas for free? Growth rates will affect a large part of the population and commercial structures will cause a rise in prices for all consumer goods and services, he said.

Lawyer Aslan Ismayilov believes the motivationby authorities on the introduction of the system of payment of differentiated system  of  communal services is not wealthy. "The true purpose is to fill  empty treasury at the expense of poor people," he said.

History with Huseyn Arabul (former head of the electricity distribution company "Barmek", expelled from the country)showed that  he was evicted because he made public the refusal of senior officials to pay for the supply of electricity. The owners of the villas in the thousands of square meters, water parks, zoos,  do not pay anything  for the light and  gas," said Ismailov. –06В--