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Armenian MPs critical of expenses on Armenian officials' trips abroa

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  • Armenian MPs critical of expenses on Armenian officials' trips abroa

    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/

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