ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT HAS REFUSED THE OFFERS OF THE GREEK COMP

[MosJan]

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT HAS REFUSED THE OFFERS OF THE GREEK COMPANY OTE

09.08.2001

 

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The "ArmenTel" terms of the per minute payment introduction for phone calls are not acceptable. As "Arka" agency informs, Minister of Justice of RA David Arutyunyan has stated that in his interview to journalists. He has pointed out that " the problem is more serious and is connected with the assurance of license terms. Arutyunyan has pointed out Armenia's government and Greek company OTE, owning 90% of shares of "ArmenTel" signed a memorandum for understanding, stipulating mutual concessions, " which however was not realized". The Minister has pointed out that according to the memorandum Armenia's government must re-examine the program of investments, taking into consideration financial claims, but ATE in his turn must restrain from the communication monopoly and define its tariff policy. As Arutyunyan has pointed out, the suggestions made after memorandum signing are not acceptable for the government. The minister also pointed out that" no exact figures of investment were indicated in the memorandum'.

 

Reproduction in full or in part is prohibited without reference to "PanARMENIAN.Net"

[MosJan]

THE HEAD OF "ARMENTEL" CLAIMS THAT THE INTRODUCTION OF PER MINUTE PAYMENT FOR TELEPHONE SERVICE IS UNAVOIDABLE

08.08.2001

 

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The introduction of per minute payment for phone service in September is unavoidable. That has been stated by executive director of "ArmenTel" Nikos Georgulas at his interview to the Armenian national television. He has pointed out that the reduction of tariffs for international calls and cellular phone calls is expected. "The cell phone communication will function in 90% of the territory of Armenia by the end of this year", has stated Georgulas. According to him, low tariffs for international calls and cell phone calls will be introduced from September at the same time as the per minute payment will be introduced for phone service. As he has pointed out, per minute payment will start with 1 dram and achieve 8 drams per minute.

It should be reminded that as "ARKA", with the reference to the public relation department of the ministry of transport and communication of Armenia, stated earlier, the executive director general of "ArmenTel" Nikos Georgulas has agreed to postpone the introduction of the per minute payment system for phone calls in Armenia.

 

 

Reproduction in full or in part is prohibited without reference to "PanARMENIAN.Net"

[MosJan]

ARMENTEL KEEPS TO ITS DECISION ON INTRODUCTION OF PER MINUTE CHARGES

YEREVAN, AUGUST 27, ARMENPRESS: The board of directors of Armentel, the sole telecommunications operator in Armenia, has confirmed its previous decision on introduction of per minute charges for telephone conversations beginning from September 1.

A spokeswoman for Armentel, Hasmik Chutilian, said no changes have been made to the decision. The subscribers will have the right to 120 minutes free of charge telephone conversation for one month and each additional minute will be charged 4 Armenian Dram. The tariff will later increase up to 6 and then to 8 Drams. Meantime monthly bill of 900 Drams will be preserved.

The board of directors is also expected to discuss and publicize a new package of tariffs which might include some changes of tariffs for Internet use towards their reduction.

[MosJan]

STUDENTS PROTEST AGAINST INTRODUCTION OF PAYMENT BY MINUTE FOR TELEPHONE COMMUNICATION

06.09.2001

 

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today in front of the Government building in Yerevan some student organizations held protest mass-meeting against introduction of payment by minute for internal telephone calls. In their opinion the payment may hinder contacts of students, who come to study in Yerevan form other towns. "Every student has a right to get in touch with his or her parents in the town or outside it," – the students shouted out. As reported by "Arka" agency, the holders of the meeting threatened to break the panes in the Government building if it did not settle the problem of payment by minute.

 

Reproduction in full or in part is prohibited without reference to "PanARMENIAN.Net"

[Harut]

esi mer shatakhos hayerin dzerk chi talis.

 

seriouslly Armenia needs another telephone company along with Armentel.

they've made it monopoly.

[MosJan]

THE PRESIDENT HAS ORDERED TO BAN THE INTRODUCTION OF PER MINUTE CHARGE FOR CITY CALLS

08.09.2001

 

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The president of Armenia has given the communication and transport minister instruction to ban the introduction of per minute charge for city calls. "We have factors that will allow us to solve the problem in legal level", has stated Robert Kocharyan today at his talk with journalists during his bulb factory visit. "I am sure such questions have to be solved within the frames of law, but not in the square", said he. The country head called the attempts of definite elements to save political capital exploiting the problem of per minute charge meaningless.

 

Reproduction in full or in part is prohibited without reference to "PanARMENIAN.Net"

[MosJan]

CONFLICTS WERE BETWEEN POLICE AND PARTICIPANTS OF PROTEST ACTION AGAINST "ARMENTEL" ACTIVITIES

08.09.2001

 

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Yesterday evening the protest action against introduction of per minute charge for city calls took place in Yerevan. The initiator of the action holding was opposition "National Democratic block"party, headed by parliament deputy Arshak Sadoyan. The MIA workers did not let the meeting participants go to "Liberty" square, where at that moment a concert was taking place. But the City administration sanctioned the meeting holding. Conflict between meeting participants and police was a result of all that. After short fight, the protest action organizers decided to lead the people to the president residence. There they were met be the police cordon armed with shields and batons. The representatives of the police informed the meeting organizers that their actions were illegal, as they were not coordinated with Yerevan City administration. The minister of internal affairs called Arshak Sadoyan and told that he would be called to account for holding unauthorized procession.

 

Reproduction in full or in part is prohibited without reference to "PanARMENIAN.Net"

[MosJan]

ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER AGAINST LEGISLATIVE RESTRICTION OF "ARMENTEL" ACTIONS

10.09.2001

 

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margarian has assured the citizens they would not have to pay for city telephone calls. On completion of the joint closed meeting of the Government and Parliament representatives Margarian stated to the journalists that both the legislative and executive branches would do their best not to let "ArmenTel" Company impose payment by minute. At the same time he considered it unacceptable to restrict the actions of "ArmenTel" by means of legislative changes. In his words, it would be much more correct to avoid confrontation and seek reasonable compromises that would let solve all issues with "ArmenTel" at the bargaining table. In case of disconnection of telephones because of non-payment, the Prime Minister called to appeal to control service under the Government.

 

Reproduction in full or in part is prohibited without reference to "PanARMENIAN.Net"

[MosJan]

PRESIDENT ORDERS TO INVALIDATE ARMENTEL’S DECISION

Armenian president Robert Kocharian reaffirmed on Saturday the government's intention to prevent Armentel from enforcing its earlier decision to raise telephone charges.

 

 

Speaking to reporters on Saturday president Kocharian said he had instructed transport and communication minister Andranik Manukian to invalidate by his order ArmenTel's decision. "We have all possibilities and levers to solve this dispute in the legal field," he said. According to Kocharian, in serious deals the government should bear the responsibility.

 

 

In a related development prime minister Andranik Margarian said on Saturday that the government was against the per-minute payment and "is doing everything to make sure that it is not enforced from October 1."

 

 

Margarian said that the parliament has suggested to start a legislative initiative that would seek changes to the relevant laws, but "the government has asked not to take up the step for the time being." According to Margarian, the license which granted Armentel 15 year monopoly in the domestic communications market provides for possibilities to prevent introduction of per minute charges for domestic calls.

 

 

Armentel company, owned by the Greek state-owned OTE, decided to introduce the new payment scheme in January. The Armentel chief executive, Nikos Georgulas, has said he will press ahead with the measure over the government's objections.

 

 

The prime minister said his government had drawn up a strategic policy for cooperating with Armentel which covers not only per minute charges but also seek a creation of conditions to enable other companies enter the sector.