“The wild market contributes to emigration”

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What is the RA State Commission for Protection of Economic Competition doing to restrict the inflation? This was what MP Artsvik Minasyan asked President of the SCPEC Artak Shaboyan today to which the latter replied:

"The Commission is currently discussing this issue. As in all parts of the world, as well as in Armenia, the Commission is not responsible for the inflation and the prices that are set. Our Commission should be responsible in as much that there is inflation for no reason and mistreatment. We can only speak if there are revelations."

Many MPs didn't agree with Mr. Shaboyan and mentioned that the Commission is obliged to inform citizens about the inflation in advance, for instance, the cheese inflation.

"In that sense we have started taking action. Late last year we presented a legislative package and believe that this will give our Commission the opportunity to solve many issues. Besides punishment, we will also have the opportunity to prevent," said the president of the commission.

MP Larisa Alaverdyan was not satisfied with the answer and announced that there is no competition in the Armenian market. "It's a wild market and all inflations contribute to emigration."

Mr. Shaboyan agreed that there are no standards of evaluation in the period under review in 2009 and 2010. Shaboyan also informed the MPs that he is against the unification of the State Commission for Protection of Economic Competition and the Public Services Regulatory Commission. "The two commissions carry out different functions."

Presenting the Commission's annual report, the president
said the working plan for 2010 was composed of two parts, including an analysis of the competitive environment and the implementation of measures. "In 2010, we studied 32 food and non-food markets and our main objective was the legislation, which did not adequately respond to the changes in the sphere."

The Commission didn't really identify any violations in the benzene market in 2010.