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Economists assess Armenian government's work in 2013
11:28 - 29.12.13
Armenian National Congress (ANC) member, economist Vahagn Khachatryan,
Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun (ARF-D) member
Artsvik Minasyan and economic Vardan Bostanjyan commented on Armenian
Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan's press conference on December 27.
They believe the government work has failed this year.
In the context of the latest developments related to the
Armenian-Russian gas agreements, Vahagn Khachatryan said that the
Armenian government deceived society. He does not take the
government's statements seriously - especially the statements made at
press conferences.
`He [the premier] should have been asked about investments or how they
happened to fail to consider the rise in energy carrier prices in the
2013 macroeconomic indicators, when they were well aware of it. So I
understand the only aim was to organize a show for journalists,' he
said.
The premier should have made assessments of the laws of oligarchy in
Armenia's judiciary and economy and spoken of how investments could be
made in Armenia in 2014, Khachatryan said.
Also, the global crisis cannot be cited as a reason for Armenia's low
GDP and lower wages as this year has been successful for the world
economy.
The government should have spoken of its failures rather than of `achievements.'
For his part, Artsvik Minasyan dwelt on the problem of funded pensions
and sale of ArmRusgasprom shares.
According to him, in speaking of the pension reforms the premier
refuted President Serzh Sargsyan's statement that funded pensions will
put an end to the principle of successive generations.
`I do not share the opinion that the model is fair and will save
Armenia. It is not so. International experience, as well as the major
challenges to our economy, shows that we have to implement system
reforms only by enabling our citizens to make their own choice,' he
said.
The MP noted that the proposed system will reduce people's incomes and
boost further emigration with all of its negative consequences.
With respect to the premier's statement that the sale of
ArmRusgasprom's shares to Gazprom allows Armenia to import gas at a
lower price, Minasyan said that it is not so as well.
`It does not at all prove that Armenia will be able to import gas at
the same price for the coming five years because the agreement
envisages price revisions at least once a year,' Minasyan said.
Vardan Bostanjyan said that the premier-cited figures were the results
of `certain methods.' In any case, they had no positive effect on the
population not only in 2013, but also during previous years.
`We have large-scale emigration, widespread poverty, gas consumption
problems. And the planned introduction of funded pensions has produced
negative effects. We also hardly realize the advisability of joining
different unions,' he said.
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2013/12/29/karavarutyun/
11:28 - 29.12.13
Armenian National Congress (ANC) member, economist Vahagn Khachatryan,
Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun (ARF-D) member
Artsvik Minasyan and economic Vardan Bostanjyan commented on Armenian
Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan's press conference on December 27.
They believe the government work has failed this year.
In the context of the latest developments related to the
Armenian-Russian gas agreements, Vahagn Khachatryan said that the
Armenian government deceived society. He does not take the
government's statements seriously - especially the statements made at
press conferences.
`He [the premier] should have been asked about investments or how they
happened to fail to consider the rise in energy carrier prices in the
2013 macroeconomic indicators, when they were well aware of it. So I
understand the only aim was to organize a show for journalists,' he
said.
The premier should have made assessments of the laws of oligarchy in
Armenia's judiciary and economy and spoken of how investments could be
made in Armenia in 2014, Khachatryan said.
Also, the global crisis cannot be cited as a reason for Armenia's low
GDP and lower wages as this year has been successful for the world
economy.
The government should have spoken of its failures rather than of `achievements.'
For his part, Artsvik Minasyan dwelt on the problem of funded pensions
and sale of ArmRusgasprom shares.
According to him, in speaking of the pension reforms the premier
refuted President Serzh Sargsyan's statement that funded pensions will
put an end to the principle of successive generations.
`I do not share the opinion that the model is fair and will save
Armenia. It is not so. International experience, as well as the major
challenges to our economy, shows that we have to implement system
reforms only by enabling our citizens to make their own choice,' he
said.
The MP noted that the proposed system will reduce people's incomes and
boost further emigration with all of its negative consequences.
With respect to the premier's statement that the sale of
ArmRusgasprom's shares to Gazprom allows Armenia to import gas at a
lower price, Minasyan said that it is not so as well.
`It does not at all prove that Armenia will be able to import gas at
the same price for the coming five years because the agreement
envisages price revisions at least once a year,' Minasyan said.
Vardan Bostanjyan said that the premier-cited figures were the results
of `certain methods.' In any case, they had no positive effect on the
population not only in 2013, but also during previous years.
`We have large-scale emigration, widespread poverty, gas consumption
problems. And the planned introduction of funded pensions has produced
negative effects. We also hardly realize the advisability of joining
different unions,' he said.
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2013/12/29/karavarutyun/