Economics & Finance

Shahbazyan: 2011 Census Shows Emigration and Inflation Increase

Commenting on the findings of the National Statistical Service’s last census, ARF-D Parliamentary Faction’s Secretary Artashes Shahbazyan said that during the last year nearly 50.000 people left Armenia. “It’s quite clear that the emigration rate has grown in comparison to previous years” he said reminding that these are the state’s data. Furthermore, he stated that…

Minasyan: We Choose Not To Make The Financial Sector Even Richer

The ARF-D Parliamentary Faction remained neutral during today’s voting of the draft law “On Restriction of cash operations”. According to www.mardik.am, the ARF-D Member of Parliament Artsvik Minasyan explained that the draft law contains some risks that should be reviewed and if lifted by the government between the first and second hearings then ARF-D will…

Minasyan: Regime Change, The Only Way To Abolish Monopolies

On January 13, representatives from the Armenian National Congress, the Liberal Democrats and ARF-D parties participated in a meeting with the Press, co-organized by the Armenian Center of Political and International Studies and the US Institute for Democracy that was held at the Congress hotel. According to www.azatutyun.am ARF-D Member of Parliament Artsvik Minasyan pointed…

Opposition Skeptical About New Anti-Graft Body

Armenia’s leading opposition groups voiced skepticism on Wednesday over the formation of a new anti-corruption state body charged with verifying income declarations of senior state officials. The state Commission on the Ethics of High-Ranking Officials consists of five members appointed by President Serzh Sargsyan upon the recommendation of Armenia’s prime minister, parliament speaker, prosecutor-general and…

Minasyan: There’s A 70% Deviation Between Targets And Results

“The gap between the announced targets and the delivered results is reflected on the deterioration of the living conditions, the fast increase of emigration, the extremely heavy socio-phsycological state of the population, the existence of economical monopolies and the growth of unemployment” said to 168 Zham newspaper ARF-D Member of Parliament Artsvik Minasyan. He added…

Nranyan: Strengthening Armenia And Encouraging Exports Are Matters Of Politics

ARF-D Member of Parliament Ara Nranyan referring to the government’s export industry plan stated that the Party’s strategic plan on encouraging exports has been introduced in 2005 covering a wide range of public policy starting from the engagement of diplomatic missions until the improvement of tax and budget policies as well as the state administration’s…

Shahbazyan: ARF-D Will Vote Against The 2012 Budget Draft

“It is possible to play games with the numbers and the data but I believe that we must have concrete criteria. How much does the proposed budget affect the Armenian citizen’s living conditions, how much does his living standard change, improve?” said ARF-D Parliamentary Faction’s Secretary Artashes Shahbazyan during the discussions about the 2012 state…

2012 Budget Already A Failure, Says Minasyan

ARF-D Member of Parliament and Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee on Financial, Credit and Budgetary Affairs Artsvik Minasyan stated that the 2012 budget can be already considered failed and that ARF-D will vote against it. Minasyan said that the 48% target about employment should be raised to 65%, the ratio between the state budget…

ARF-D Demands Rising Of Minimum Wage

On November 15, the Parliament of Armenia held an extraordinary session in order to discuss ARF-D’s proposition about raising the minimum wage. ARF-D proposed that the increase should take in account the inflation level, the minimum living budget or the market basket as well as the average wage and setting the minimum wage to 63.000…

Nranyan: State Budget Shouldn’t Become A Reproduction Tool For The Authorities

Discussing in the Parliament the 2012 state budget, ARF-D Member of Parliament Ara Nranyan said that the government’s policy on this issue is causing a crisis itself. Nranyan brought the example of agriculture and said that if a state chooses not to fund the farmer, the farm business and the investor then the state itself…