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CUSTOMS UNION DEAL NO USE UNLESS WE COMBAT OLIGARCHY - OPINION
12:03 07.09.13
The deputy leader of the opposition Heritage party finds that Armenia's
decision to join the Eurasian Customs Union is unlikely to offer
any advantages to the country without effective policies aimed to
eradicate the oligarchic regime.
Speaking to Tert.am, Armen Martirosyan said that Armenia's membership
in the Russian-led Union will be of almost no use, with the market
remaining centralized in the hands of a monopoly interested in keeping
the prices high regardless of the price policies in Russia and the
interest rates charged for imports.
"And the state government system is not expected to change; it will
be the same oligarchic regime which, together with the monopolies,
will not in any case contribute to our economy's development," he said.
Earlier, the advocates of the Customs Union and Eurasian Union
claimed that integration into the Russian-led organizations would
offer Armenia's population an opportunity to receive salaries and
pensions in accordance with the indexes functioning Russia. Asked
whether that option will work in Armenia, Martirosyan ruled out such
a possibility, noting that the rumors were spread in an attempt to
influence the society, especially those parts of it which still felt
nostalgia for the Soviet times.
The politician said that the cooperation with the Customs Union aims
to boost the turnover of products on the market, without promising
any impact on salaries and pensions.
Asked about possible Russian subsidies of the natural gas tariffs,
Martirosyan said, "If I am not mistaken, they offer only 30 percent
subsidies of the gas tariff. So, it isn't any loss for Russia, given
that it is the owner and the supplier of gas," he said, noting that
the remaining 70% which the Armenian consumers will be required to
pay is quite a high price for the country's population.
Armenian News - Tert.am
12:03 07.09.13
The deputy leader of the opposition Heritage party finds that Armenia's
decision to join the Eurasian Customs Union is unlikely to offer
any advantages to the country without effective policies aimed to
eradicate the oligarchic regime.
Speaking to Tert.am, Armen Martirosyan said that Armenia's membership
in the Russian-led Union will be of almost no use, with the market
remaining centralized in the hands of a monopoly interested in keeping
the prices high regardless of the price policies in Russia and the
interest rates charged for imports.
"And the state government system is not expected to change; it will
be the same oligarchic regime which, together with the monopolies,
will not in any case contribute to our economy's development," he said.
Earlier, the advocates of the Customs Union and Eurasian Union
claimed that integration into the Russian-led organizations would
offer Armenia's population an opportunity to receive salaries and
pensions in accordance with the indexes functioning Russia. Asked
whether that option will work in Armenia, Martirosyan ruled out such
a possibility, noting that the rumors were spread in an attempt to
influence the society, especially those parts of it which still felt
nostalgia for the Soviet times.
The politician said that the cooperation with the Customs Union aims
to boost the turnover of products on the market, without promising
any impact on salaries and pensions.
Asked about possible Russian subsidies of the natural gas tariffs,
Martirosyan said, "If I am not mistaken, they offer only 30 percent
subsidies of the gas tariff. So, it isn't any loss for Russia, given
that it is the owner and the supplier of gas," he said, noting that
the remaining 70% which the Armenian consumers will be required to
pay is quite a high price for the country's population.
Armenian News - Tert.am