Thursday, 19 April 2012
NPP Operations To Be Extended
A Cabinet sitting was held today, chaired by Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan.
The government decided to start the process of extending the term of NPP operations in an effort to ensure Armenia’s self-sufficiency in energy ahead of the planned launch of the new nuclear unit. Note that second unit’s licensed term expires on September 1, 2016, 30 years after the commissioning. In the meantime, it is necessary to enhance its safety level along with such measures as may be required to extend the scheduled term of operations
To this end, the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources was told to have a program of activities and a cost estimate developed by May 5 and August 1, 2013 respectively so that an action plan for extending the term of the second unit could be submitted to the government by September 1, 2013.
“The topic has been a matter of speculations in mass media. You may know that the Head of the International Atomic Energy Agency is in Armenia. Our policy is transparent in this area. We addressed an open request to the Head of the International Atomic Energy Agency to assist the Armenian government with the planned extension of NPP terms of operations, as well as to help us build a new nuclear unit. The above two issues should not be opposed to each other. During our yesterday’s meeting, the problem was formulated sufficiently clearly: we stated the Government’s official position which is fully supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Therefore, it is seems to be inappropriate to find a controversy based on inaccurate information. Our decision stems from the same logic and is put on record without any secrets, whatsoever,” the Prime Minister emphasized.
Another decision was passed to specify the list of services and provide a procedure for allocation of welfare packages to NPP staff. The decision seeks to introduce a unified system of social guarantees for the staff working in most hazardous conditions.
The meeting amended two previous decisions to simplify the process of buying or leasing business premises by small and medium-size entities. The new decision tends to address the contradiction between the former ones.
The Cabinet made changes to another decision in order to simplify the procedure applicable to the transit of cargoes, which is supposed to considerably improve the business environment and increase the amount of freight on transit through Armenia.
The Executive next adopted a decision on the launch of a public system of electronic payments under which natural and legal persons will be entitled to make online payments for public services or settle different types of fines and duties.
In conclusion, the meeting ruled that the working Monday of April 30, 2012 will be substituted with the Saturday of April 28.
