Tweet
NEW YEAR SURPRISES FOR ARMENIAN CITIZENS
Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Dec 13 2013
13 December 2013 - 8:55am
David Stepanyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
The authorities decided to make several "New Year surprises" for
citizens of Armenia. The main surprise is an increase in ticket
prices on public transport from 100 to 150-200 drams. Yerevan's
administration remembered the sad experience of previous numerous
protests against the price growth, when it has to cancel its decision,
and choose for it New Year holidays, hoping for a passive reaction
of the celebrating population.
The second "surprise" is a decrease in working citizens' incomes by
6.6%-13%. The government wants to pick citizens' pockets through a
draft initiated by the authorities - On Launching Defined Contribution
Pension System in Armenia. From January 1st, 2014, people who were born
after 1947 have to join the system. Monthly obligatory contributions
by citizens will be 5% of their salaries. 5% not from the "take-home
salary," but from the total salary, i.e. with all social payments
into the budget and the already existed pension fund.
Thus, citizens will be deprived of not 5%, but 6.6%-13% of their
real incomes. Moreover, it will happen in the context of a permanent
price growth.
The government has also presented amendments to the Law on Citizen's
Internal Passport to the parliament. They require changing of current
internal passports to biometric passports since January 1st, 2014. New
IDs will cost 25 000 drams (more than $61). The deputy head of the
police, Artur Osikyan, reported that new passports will be produced
by the Polish company, PW. Osikyan said that the Polish company had
a shareholder in Armenia, but he didn't say who he was.
Law-enforcement agencies join in the New Year fines as well. The
traffic police impose fines thoroughly on driving regulations'
breakers. The "crime detection" rate increased at the end of the year
as well. There are dozens of cases when innocent people are taken to
the police offices and "confessionary evidence" is beaten out of them.
There was a case when a pregnant woman was kept as a hostage until her
husband "admitted" that he committed a crime, even though it wasn't
true. When miscarriage happened to her, she complained to the court,
but it didn't initiate a criminal case, referring to the fact that
her evidence differed from evidence of investigators who kept her as
a hostage.
As for further plans of the authorities, since January 1st, 2015,
they plan to launch compulsory health insurance.
Numerous protests are being held against the Defined Contribution
Pension System and the police brutality. 11,000 people signed against
increasing of gas and power prices. The situation is tensed up to the
hilt. According to the head of the parliamentary fraction of ANC,
Levon Zurabyan, the authorities actually make the population break
a law to overthrow the government.
Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Dec 13 2013
13 December 2013 - 8:55am
David Stepanyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
The authorities decided to make several "New Year surprises" for
citizens of Armenia. The main surprise is an increase in ticket
prices on public transport from 100 to 150-200 drams. Yerevan's
administration remembered the sad experience of previous numerous
protests against the price growth, when it has to cancel its decision,
and choose for it New Year holidays, hoping for a passive reaction
of the celebrating population.
The second "surprise" is a decrease in working citizens' incomes by
6.6%-13%. The government wants to pick citizens' pockets through a
draft initiated by the authorities - On Launching Defined Contribution
Pension System in Armenia. From January 1st, 2014, people who were born
after 1947 have to join the system. Monthly obligatory contributions
by citizens will be 5% of their salaries. 5% not from the "take-home
salary," but from the total salary, i.e. with all social payments
into the budget and the already existed pension fund.
Thus, citizens will be deprived of not 5%, but 6.6%-13% of their
real incomes. Moreover, it will happen in the context of a permanent
price growth.
The government has also presented amendments to the Law on Citizen's
Internal Passport to the parliament. They require changing of current
internal passports to biometric passports since January 1st, 2014. New
IDs will cost 25 000 drams (more than $61). The deputy head of the
police, Artur Osikyan, reported that new passports will be produced
by the Polish company, PW. Osikyan said that the Polish company had
a shareholder in Armenia, but he didn't say who he was.
Law-enforcement agencies join in the New Year fines as well. The
traffic police impose fines thoroughly on driving regulations'
breakers. The "crime detection" rate increased at the end of the year
as well. There are dozens of cases when innocent people are taken to
the police offices and "confessionary evidence" is beaten out of them.
There was a case when a pregnant woman was kept as a hostage until her
husband "admitted" that he committed a crime, even though it wasn't
true. When miscarriage happened to her, she complained to the court,
but it didn't initiate a criminal case, referring to the fact that
her evidence differed from evidence of investigators who kept her as
a hostage.
As for further plans of the authorities, since January 1st, 2015,
they plan to launch compulsory health insurance.
Numerous protests are being held against the Defined Contribution
Pension System and the police brutality. 11,000 people signed against
increasing of gas and power prices. The situation is tensed up to the
hilt. According to the head of the parliamentary fraction of ANC,
Levon Zurabyan, the authorities actually make the population break
a law to overthrow the government.