The Yerevan Municipality reports a loss of some one billion drams (US$2.591 million) in unpaid rent from the scores of illegally installed payment terminals that dot the city’s streets.

Armenia’s Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) launched an investigation of the matter following a Hetq article published last December.

A four-month PGO study revealed that 1,296 terminals are unlawfully installed in the Armenian capital.

The terminals are used to pay utility bills, make bank transfers, pay government fees, etc.

Hetq wrote that several companies use Yerevan sidewalks, underpasses, and other public spaces to do business but do not pay any rent.