Marutyan Reminded of Pre-Election Promise

Concerns about the worsening waste collection in the capital are being voiced by everyone. Hundreds of people are uploading photos of garbage piled several meters high next to buildings on social media. Complaints about the spreading odor are ubiquitous. However, there are currently no promises for improvement, nor any warnings or predictions about the potential dangers of the current situation. It seems the thought is that people will complain, and it will eventually be forgotten.

Today, Arman Ghukasyan, the president of the "For Social Justice" party, wrote a letter to Yerevan Mayor Hayk Marutyan, reminding him of the promises made during the pre-election period that have not yet been fulfilled. Ghukasyan is asking the mayor what solutions the municipality is considering to address this issue.

The letter, which was delivered to the city hall, states: "Dear Mr. Marutyan, I am addressing you regarding the extraordinary situation prevailing in the city's waste collection sector. As a resident of Yerevan, I can confirm that the problem of waste collection in our capital has never been as acute as it is these days. The city's trash bins are nearly overflowing everywhere, surrounded by piles of garbage that are picked up irregularly or are entirely ignored by the relevant services. Recently, the company 'Sanitek' issued a statement discussing financial difficulties, which, according to the company, are due to unjustified sanctions imposed by the municipality. The company claims that this is precisely why it is unable to fulfill its obligations in the waste collection sector.

Residents of Yerevan cannot help but be curious about what sanctions and fines are being discussed. Every month, the residents of Yerevan pay for waste collection services, but in return, they do not receive an adequate level of service. During your pre-election campaign, you promised the residents that new waste collection operators would appear in the capital. However, there has been no progress in this direction yet. Don't you think that a company operator that cannot fulfill its obligations should be replaced? Or perhaps the problem lies in the fact that the municipality, by applying excessive administrative pressure on 'Sanitek', has created the waste crisis itself? If that is the case, city authorities should change their approach in building relationships with the operator. As the president of the 'For Social Justice' party and a native of Yerevan, I look forward to your response, in which I would particularly like to know what further paths the municipality foresees for addressing this issue."

Photos by Panorama.am.