Video: The starting price for the 00 oo 000 license plate is 20 million drams; the auction process lasts until February 28, says Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs

I do not know why such news is being spread, as there is a standard procedure that is publicized, clearly stating how the auction is conducted. This was mentioned today, February 26, during a conversation with journalists in the National Assembly by the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Arpine Sargsyan, addressing rumors that the 00 oo 000 license plate has been sold for 300,000 dollars.

“The auction was announced on February 23, and this is for several combinations, as the announcement was not just for the 00 oo 000 plate. The auction lasts for 3 working days, so we are in the process of conducting the auction until February 28. When the auction ends, we will inform the citizens. So far, there have been no sales logically,” she stated.

When asked where the rumors originated, which even mentioned that the buyer is a driver for a Mercedes, the deputy minister responded, “I cannot say, because during the voting phase, there were also rumors that it had already been sold, even though we were in the selection phase for license plates.”

Regarding the fact that 98 people have applied for the 00 oo 000 license plate, she said, “When we said 98 or a higher number, that referred to the voting. The process is as follows: initially, our citizens vote on which license plates should be put up for auction, and afterwards, based on the voting results, the auction date and the list of license plates subject to auction are decided. It is not mandatory for a person to vote and participate in the auction, nor can someone not vote but still participate in the auction by paying a deposit.”

“Until now, I do not find it appropriate to publish data regarding the auction. It is an auction that is free from the human factor, conducted within an electronic system. Once it concludes, we will say which license plates are occupied. The starting price is 20 million drams. The starting prices have been approved by an order from the Minister of Internal Affairs; the specifications for license plates are approved by a government decision. The 20 million drams pertain specifically to this license plate. In other cases, different pricing scales are available. The prices are accessible on the auction website and arlis.am. It is a matter of preference as to what numerical combination license plate someone prefers,” Arpine Sargsyan concluded.

It is worth noting that yesterday, the Facebook page of the “Driver's Association” NGO reported that the 00OO000 license plate had been sold at auction for 300,000 dollars. It should also be noted that the auction website indicates that this license plate is already occupied.