Vahram Baghdasaryan blames people leaving the country for work in the declension of the volume of investments in Armenia.
At the end of the third session of the fifth convocation the Parliament adopted the 2012 Budget Performance. Only the government coalition forces, the Republican Party and the Rule of Law, voted pro. The opposition and alternative PAP estimated the Government’s last year’s performance insufficient, in fact, in the same way they referred to the Government’s forthcoming activities. Yesterday, in a conversation with the Deputy of the Republican Party Vahram Baghdasaryan, “Aravot” tried to understand whether the ruling majority likes this kind of situation.
– The criticisms are acceptable, and they are keeping any government awake. But it is sad that today the opposition is only talking about the negative sides. Positive sides could also be seen, then I would accept the criticism as a healthy criticism. The budget report has been discussed over and over at the Republican Party, it was criticized, and the sectors where there were progresses, of course, were mentioned. Of course, it was told that they were not enough, we still have a lot of do, and taking into account the existing achievements, we should be able to fill all the gaps in the coming years, which are there. Together with all criticism, I am convinced that many reforms will be executed by the Government’s current program and will provide our progress.
– What progresses are there that the opposition and the public blindly do not notice?
Read also
– During the speech, the spheres where growth has been observed were stated. For example, the social sector referred to the Ministry of Labor, the control has become stronger. It is incomparable with the past. Today, the bureaucratic red tapes in the sector of Cadastre is eliminated. Steps are made in court and legal system, where there are quite a lot of gaps. There we have a lot to do. There are also serious things to do in agriculture, but unfortunately natural disasters are also related with the activities of the Government. What does it mean that the government must resign because it hailed?
– The Government should be prepared and properly respond to such situations.
– Yes, but that there were quite a big disappointment, criticism, the government did its job but no praise was heard that the Government, readily, in a short time, was able to respond.
– But nothing concrete has reached to the farmer.
– It requires time, it gradually will reach to the farmer. And if the promises that were given by the Government no one keeps, I, as a member of Republican Party, a member of the political majority, am ready to be the first to lift up my voice.
The oppositions say that you only give promises. In other word, initially, they create an atmosphere unfaithfulness in the society. But so far whatever they have told, I have not noticed any significant deviations.
– Without the efforts of the opposition, the society does not have much faith in the Government and the ruling political force.
– This, of course, is more supported by the opposition. They bring examples from the years of experience, but if there are real submitted projects, and are presented in a differential form that will be called to life, without finishing 2013, they leave it behind and criticize 2014. This is unacceptable.
The Government’s activities for 2012 concerning the economic growth of 4.2% and presented 7.2% economic growth, I have also criticized. The idea of deflator was brought with which I do not agree much. I am the first to criticize the issues related to real GDP. With macroeconomic terminology it is possible to confuse the public, but there is a simple arithmetic, one should speak in a simple language. I accept the criticism. We have had 101 billion of budget revenues, instead of projected growth of 4.2 % we had 7.2 percent increase, what happened?, why the tax revenues did not increase? There are serious problems with regard to fiscal policy, which I admit. How can I not admit? There was serious criticism by the opposition, serious questions that were difficult for the Government to answer. But the opposition is criticizing the years of 2014 and 2015, and I also notice some personified relations in connection with the leadership of some areas, and, perhaps, with the Prime Minister, too.
But the program of 2013, which was based on the gaps of 2012, is likely to record progress in the result of correct fiscal policy. We must be able to accurately control over the pricing policy and to establish such conditions for the economic entity that parallel to salary increase, it might be able to gain profit. In the first place, we should be able to prevent the emigration. If there is on one in the country to spend money, and only budgetary employees are left, who is going to feed them.
– In 2012, according to budget execution, the government has yet provided three percent more economic growth, but the pace of migration is increasing day-by-day. Why do people flee from economic growth and a good life.
– The main emigration is coming from the regions and rural settlements. For 15 years we constantly miss the issue of balanced territorial development. There are villages where there was no birth for two years, there are schools where a teacher who has to teach several subjects. The universities give brilliant graduates, one year later, the graduate is gone, these talented guys are offered such a salary outside that they naturally seek out. And some answers to such concerns are found in the government program. Should they be consistent and implement the program, serious progress will be made.
Reforms are needed in all areas and in tax policy. What does it mean of having so many types of taxes in such a small country? For example, in connection with auditing, the reduction of inspections was a good plan. I have welcomed it. The auditing inspections have become 4 out of 18.
– And are there many emigrants in your neighborhood?
– I would not say. Unfortunately, there are people who leave with families. But there are some who go for a seasonal work and conscientiously return. To the point, the overwhelming majority of those left a year ago have returned due to various reasons: they have not found work or they have work but were not paid.
In our mentality when we go out, we start caviling our country: they do not say that they have come here to earn money and go back to our country to make it prosperous, they say, it is not a place to live. They introduce the country as bad, and the investments become less under such mood, they become risky.
– In other words, it was not risky …?
– Not so much as are presented to justify their leaving the country. There are serious problems, but we must work to overcome them. You think that we are here today all dressed up to the nines standing with ties, we don’t have personal problems? There are many offers, the neighborhood is big, and we could have worked softly outside. But there are goals, and the objectives should be resolved. My children should grow up in this country.
Nelly GRIGORYAN
