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Armenian MPs critical of expenses on Armenian officials' trips abroad
12:25 - 03.11.13
With respect to the criticism of Armenian Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsyan using charter flights, representatives of the ruling
Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) explain that Armenia's premier and
ministers must be represented at a high level abroad because it is the
country's reputation.
`It is obvious that budgetary funds are being scattered rather than
used to resolve grave socio-economic problems,' Khachatur Kokobelyan,
Chairman of the Free Democrats party, told Tert.am.
`Of course, Armenia's high-ranking officials must represent the
country at a proper level, but no one has the right to use budgetary
funds like officials in developed countries. But in our case, the
situation is quite opposite. We can spend huge funds on visits, but we
always lack funds on social expenditure or benefits,' he added.
`The fact is that government officials never think of the budget
deficit, and a poor country's premier and government members can
hardly afford such expenses on official visits,' Styopa Safaryan, a
Heritage party member, told Tert.am.
`Yes, country leaders may afford luxuries provided they solve the
population's social problems. Otherwise, the authorities have no moral
right to spend so much money,' he added.
`It is inadmissible. And when the problem is raised, the opposite camp
responds immediately. They claim it to be populism and high-ranking
officials must use charter flights because it is the matter of the
country's reputation. No! It is not charter flights that make the
country's reputation. It is democracy and the well-being of the nation
that determine the country's reputation. Unfortunately, we have
serious problems in this respect.
`And if your country is the region's poorest country, with people
fleeing it because of a disgraceful socio-economic policy, how can an
official reserve the right to use charter flights? And their official
explanations that their visits are justified because most serious
financial documents are signed are absurd. It means that if they fly
business class the documents will not be signed,' she said.
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2013/11/03/tigran-sargsyan/
12:25 - 03.11.13
With respect to the criticism of Armenian Prime Minister Tigran
Sargsyan using charter flights, representatives of the ruling
Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) explain that Armenia's premier and
ministers must be represented at a high level abroad because it is the
country's reputation.
`It is obvious that budgetary funds are being scattered rather than
used to resolve grave socio-economic problems,' Khachatur Kokobelyan,
Chairman of the Free Democrats party, told Tert.am.
`Of course, Armenia's high-ranking officials must represent the
country at a proper level, but no one has the right to use budgetary
funds like officials in developed countries. But in our case, the
situation is quite opposite. We can spend huge funds on visits, but we
always lack funds on social expenditure or benefits,' he added.
`The fact is that government officials never think of the budget
deficit, and a poor country's premier and government members can
hardly afford such expenses on official visits,' Styopa Safaryan, a
Heritage party member, told Tert.am.
`Yes, country leaders may afford luxuries provided they solve the
population's social problems. Otherwise, the authorities have no moral
right to spend so much money,' he added.
`It is inadmissible. And when the problem is raised, the opposite camp
responds immediately. They claim it to be populism and high-ranking
officials must use charter flights because it is the matter of the
country's reputation. No! It is not charter flights that make the
country's reputation. It is democracy and the well-being of the nation
that determine the country's reputation. Unfortunately, we have
serious problems in this respect.
`And if your country is the region's poorest country, with people
fleeing it because of a disgraceful socio-economic policy, how can an
official reserve the right to use charter flights? And their official
explanations that their visits are justified because most serious
financial documents are signed are absurd. It means that if they fly
business class the documents will not be signed,' she said.
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2013/11/03/tigran-sargsyan/