“Prosperous Armenia” faction MP, Michael Melkumyan, believes that Robert Kocharyan’s arguments, particularly, with regard to construction related issues, are reasonable. “In 2000-2008, the formula of economic development was found and it was the construction, which, in its turn, develops other sectors.” To be more specific, our interlocutor brings figures that in 2008 there were about 840 billion drams building capacity, whereas now it is less than 400 billion drams. That is more than the construction volume went down more than twice, which means that the investment environment is not favorable. “And construction means production of building materials, operation of transport sector, architecture, design works, and work of professionals. In those times, about 170 thousand people were employed. In other words, in this sense, to be based on the concept that there is a construction bubble in the world, which means a bubble of pledged asset and mortgage asset, I would not agree for Armenia. Yes, there is such thing in the world, but it is not typical to Armenia, because the money invested in construction sector in Armenia was exclusively based on mortgage, there were also others,” said Michael Melkumyan. Such reverses of the PAP MP refer to clarifications made the Prime Minister of Armenia, Tigran Sargsyan, to the criticism presented by Robert Kocharyan at the end of last year. The Prime Minister’s clarifications were followed by Robert Kocharyan’s response, which contained references to the mandatory funded pension system, and the gas agreement signed with Russia. The PAP MP said that in the parliamentary debates PAP has repeatedly said that the reform does not inspire confidence. The examples of Slovakia, Argentina and other countries were brought in, which, in pretty short period of time, refused the system as a result of political turmoil, by returned the money to beneficiaries. “I think it’s pretty risky, because if we are collecting money today to develop financial intermediation, then to provide appropriate money, the money should be invested in the place where the economic growth is higher than in Armenia. In other words, most of these funds will flow out for sure and the five per cent is a huge burden on the citizen and the state budget.”
As for the gas agreements, Michael Melkumyan especially signifies the provision of monopoly to Russia until the year of 2043, by selling “ARG” company, even taking into account the outstanding contributions of Gasprom related to the fifth power block under the Iran-Armenia gas projects. Our interlocutor compares this monopoly license with “ArmenTel” monopoly license, when, in 1998, 25 -year monopoly was provided to “ArmenTel”, the results of which we have experienced on our skin, including with regard to the technical development of the economy. Concluding his speech, our interlocutor notes that speaking about the construction as one of the main obstacles of the crisis, refers a question to current Prime Minister: “Who was obstructing, let them diversify during the five years. And, now, do we have a more diversified economy? I think, no. In the case when 43 per cent of our export products are mining: xero-molybdenum and copper concentrate.” Regarding the development of information technology, which the MP welcomes, at the same time proves that there are total of six thousand people working there, and a massive growth in this sector has not been increasingly felt. Michael Melkumyan reminds that the PAP has introduced more than twenty initiatives, some of which are related to the industrial policy, in particular, to the establishment of free industrial zones in marzes. PAP finds that the development of marzes is one of the ways to stop Armenians leaving the country. “I considers the questions of the second president appropriate, grounded, he, as the head of the country, in his tenure, had found the key. I’m not saying that the construction would develop forever, but it should be followed by other steps that were left unfinished.” Robert Kocharyan’s conclusion to Tigran Sargsyan that “he is hopeless,” Michael Melkumyan considers that it is up to them. “I am not interfering in these assessments.”
Nelly Grigoryan
