David Stepanyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
The parliament of Armenia adopted a draft of the state budget 2014 – 70 votes “for,” 40 votes “against,” and 1 vote “abstain.” It is planned that revenues will be 1 135 billion drams; expenditures – 1 245 billion drams; budget deficit – 110 billion drams, or 2.3% of GDP; deficit of current balance – 8.6%. The budget requires the real growth of GDP by 5.8%; average inflation – 5.5%; 12-month inflation – 4.5%. The budget was adopted due to the Republic majority and its satellites from Orinats Erkir.
Prosperous Armenia, Dashmaktsutyun, Heritage, and Armenian National Congress didn’t approve the budget.
The authorities trying to explain “magnificence” of the budget 2014 made several absurd arguments, as always. For example, the allocation of ridiculous sums ($1.4 million) to encouragement of industry within the Strategy of Export-Oriented Industrial Policy is presented as a significant factor for development of economy. The republicans from the mouth of Ermine Nagdalyan’s “took responsibility” and voted for “the budget of development” aimed at vital settlement of challenges which the state and society face. Nagdalyan promised once again that the significant growth of tax revenues in 2014 wouldn’t take place in the context of increasing tax burden. “The growth of tax revenues by 9.96%, or 102.8 billion drams, will be provided due to struggle against the shadow segment of economy and corruption and due to the economic growth,” the vice-speaker of the parliament said.
Premier Tigran Sarkisyan is up to his old games again. He stated that the Defined Contribution Pension System required by the budget is “fair and has no alternatives, and it should be launched as soon as possible.” Continuing indignation and mass protests against the system were rejected by Premier, but he was glad that the civil society improves and the pension reform will double in strength in 4 years.
After this statement, economist Artsvik Minasyan from Dashnaktsutyun suggested the Premier should wake up and left the session, saying: “See you in the Constitutional Court.”
Nikol Pashinyan, an MP from ANC, recalled the President’s statement made on March 18th, 2013, that the government should resign if it fails to provide 7-per-cent growth of GDP . Pashinyan proposed the government to do it immediately as the budget requires the economic growth by 5.8% only. It seems that considering words by the minister of finances David Sarkisyan who believes that the statement was “political”, the government has no intention to fulfill presidential recommendations.
The statement and the whole absurd budget 2014 didn’t surprise Naira Zograbyan, MP from Prosperous Armenia. She thinks that the minister of finances meant that Premier doesn’t have to make conclusions from a serious political statement by President. Zograbyan says that the budget is based on disinformation and is not even able to provide for minimal necessities of citizens.
