Opposition MP forecasts worse living conditions in Armenia next year

At his meeting with journalists on Friday, Armenia's ex-premier, MP of the opposition bloc Armenian National Congress (ANC) Hrant Bagratyan said that, according to the 2013 state budget, the scale of living conditions is expected to be down 5% in Armenia.A similar situation is expected in 2014, Bagratyan said."Another 5% will be deducted for reserve funds. That is, in 2014 the scale of living will be 10% down as compared with 2013," Bagratyan said."I think the logic is entirely wrong. Means of adequately maintaining the country's financial system and ensuring economic growth are not found," Bagratyan said."An AMD 110bn increase appears. However, when we disregard inflation, that is, the new tax administration, nothing actually remains. No step is made to reduce the shadow, but a heavy burden falls on small-to-medium businesses," Bagratyan said.He objects to defining the 2013 budget as "socially-oriented.""I do not like such terms as 'survival' or 'social.' All the budgets are 'survival budgets'. In Georgia, $1,500 is budgeted per capita, in Armenia $900, in Russia $3,000, in Ukraine $1,200. Of course, even worse situation is in some countries – in Kyrgyzstan, for example $470 per capita. If we had $470 per capita we would survive in any case," Bagratyan said."The only thing I understand that the 2013 sums up all of their pledges. For example, public health budget is 2.2% of the GDP, but their ratio is down. Yes, the government is seeking several millions for public health," Bagratyan said."We have 'elite' sectors, which cannot be 'touched' – they have contacts with the government. We have small-to-medium businesses that can always be pressed," Bagratyan said.With respect to corruption, Bagratyan said that struggle must first of all involve taxation."It is clear that not all businesses are paying taxes. The president ordered which of them can be taxed and which must not," Bagratyan sa id.   Read more... (311 words)

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