David Stepanyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
In early April, the provisions of the law on defined contribution pensions were found anti-constitutional by the Constitutional Court (CC) – they contradict the right for personal property management of Armenian citizens and are found to be age discrimination. However, despite the verdict, the Central Depository and the Committee for State Revenues continue to illegally make employers pay to contribution pension funds.
There is a reasonable question: why does Armenia need the Constitutional Court and the Constitution, if everybody ignores them?
Despite dismissal of the government, the authorities interpreted the CC judgment in a peculiar way. The deputy Justice Minister, Yegishe Kirakosyan, stated that according to the 7th article of the CC judgment, all provisions of the law, which were found anti-constitutional, would continue their operation till September 30th. According to the official, it means the law on defined contribution pensions will operate till September 30th.
The situation wasn’t explained either by the acting Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Artem Asatryan, who declared that the former Premier ordered to establish a working group which will present amendments to the law by May 15th. The minister stated that the CC verdict made the government work on correction of provisions which were found anti-constitutional. At the moment the government illegally makes citizens pay to contribution pension funds and develops amendments to the law for making fines legal after September 30th.
To be continued
