Armenian SRC's claims about Gazprom-Armenia company endanger contract on $150 million to be signed with Russian leading bank

The accusations voiced by the State Revenue Committee (SRC) addressed to Gazprom Armenia company are groundless, general director of the company Hrant Tadevosyan said at a news conference today referring to the SRC statement about abuses revealed during the audit in the company.

“In winter months the losses are incomparably bigger as compared with summer months and it is so not only for 2018,” Tadevosyan said, stressing that additional losses in winter are also agreed with how cold it is.

He stressed that Gazprom Armenia is Armenia’s biggest investors. From 2002-2018 its investments in Armenia’s gas-energy sector reached 950 million AMD.

“Not getting any dividends at its own initiative in 2017 the company reduced the gas tariff for the population. From January 1, 2017 till now the company suffered 13.4 billion AMD losses,” Tadevosyan said, adding that if the SRC manages to ground its claims they are ready to restore the diversions.

He claimed that ungrounded publication of the State Revenue Committee endangered company’s good reputation.

“In 2016 the $254 million loans of Gazprom have been reduced to $128 million by the end of 2018. During these days we were to sign a contract with one of the biggest Russian banks costing about $150 million. We were planning to save $2-4 million annually, but after SRC statement, which was published by Russian media as well, we received a call from the bank which expressed concern over the situation,” he said, adding that they were already completing negotiations while now the deal is under serious danger.

Earlier, the SRC issued a statement that audit in Gazprom-Armenia company revealed a number of abuses and cases of tax evasion during 2016-2017.