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Poverty rate highest in quake-affected Shirak region 25 years on - opinion
15:47 - 07.12.13
In an interview with Tert.am, Levon Barseghyan, a member of Gyumri's
municipal council and the president of the Asparez club of
journalists, talked of the problems in the second largest city. He
focused particularly on the poverty rate, saying that it remains the
highest in Armenia 25 years after the devastating earthquake.
`The government records show the highest poverty rate in the Shirak
region and in Gyumri; every second person is poverty-stricken here.
What we say is that two in three are poor. If we guide ourselves by
the state data, half of the city's population lives in poverty. We are
rich in spirit, of course, and generous, but the situation is hard in
terms of social conditions. More than 4,000 families are poor; we are
trying with great difficulty to ensure warmth in the [temporary
shelters],' he said.
Are there expectations for job creation to change the living standards?
It's over ten years I offered different government officials to
establish special tax, pension and loan regimes for our city and the
disaster zone before we manage to reduce the vulnerability here and
raise the socio-economic standards to the general level in Armenia.
And I don't mean only the apartment building. The average poverty rate
is 35% in Armenia; in the Shirak region, it reaches 47%. The
unemployment rate is dramatically high here, with the migration being
incomparably higher compared to other places. I used to think and
still think that the state has a program to carry out.
What programs do you mean? Will you give more details?
The state is obliged to implement investment, economic and social
development projects so that we could upgrade the situation to the
average standards in Armenia.
For that, it is necessary to launch special loan, pension and tax
policies for this region. Certain taxes could be reduced here, for
instance; the profit tax could be completely eliminated and the
pension deductions reduced. After all, they could have an apartment
building project. These are very important conditions to direct the
money here; these are good tools to promote investments.
Armenian News - Tert.am
15:47 - 07.12.13
In an interview with Tert.am, Levon Barseghyan, a member of Gyumri's
municipal council and the president of the Asparez club of
journalists, talked of the problems in the second largest city. He
focused particularly on the poverty rate, saying that it remains the
highest in Armenia 25 years after the devastating earthquake.
`The government records show the highest poverty rate in the Shirak
region and in Gyumri; every second person is poverty-stricken here.
What we say is that two in three are poor. If we guide ourselves by
the state data, half of the city's population lives in poverty. We are
rich in spirit, of course, and generous, but the situation is hard in
terms of social conditions. More than 4,000 families are poor; we are
trying with great difficulty to ensure warmth in the [temporary
shelters],' he said.
Are there expectations for job creation to change the living standards?
It's over ten years I offered different government officials to
establish special tax, pension and loan regimes for our city and the
disaster zone before we manage to reduce the vulnerability here and
raise the socio-economic standards to the general level in Armenia.
And I don't mean only the apartment building. The average poverty rate
is 35% in Armenia; in the Shirak region, it reaches 47%. The
unemployment rate is dramatically high here, with the migration being
incomparably higher compared to other places. I used to think and
still think that the state has a program to carry out.
What programs do you mean? Will you give more details?
The state is obliged to implement investment, economic and social
development projects so that we could upgrade the situation to the
average standards in Armenia.
For that, it is necessary to launch special loan, pension and tax
policies for this region. Certain taxes could be reduced here, for
instance; the profit tax could be completely eliminated and the
pension deductions reduced. After all, they could have an apartment
building project. These are very important conditions to direct the
money here; these are good tools to promote investments.
Armenian News - Tert.am