The ultimate version of 2018 state draft budget is discussed in the Parliament. ARF secretary Aghvan Vardanyan informed they were sure the government’s reforms would give a result.
“Yelq” bloc leader Nikol Pashinyan assured that 2018 is going to be a year of inflation, inasmuch as the budget program envisages 4% inflation, which has been the highest throughout the recent years: “The prices of a series of goods have already grown essentially. The price of butter has grown by around 39%, pork by 40%, beef by about 20%, petrol – 8% and continue to become pricier, the price of the charging gas has risen and continues to rise. These are the recorded inflations, and the inflations of the upcoming year are inevitable.”
Rise of the prices of vodka, cigarette, petrol, compressed natural gas, chicken, fish, sugar, tea, coffee, medicine, toothpaste and a lot of other goods are expected. Pashinyan told the government shows a deep negligence towards this situation: “This neglect is not a Platonic neglect, but a very clear-cut one. The pensions are not increasing pursuant to the draft budget, the salaries of the budget institutions, the benefits are not increasing. This, of course, is a more unacceptable situation for us, but let us, as they say, put it straight. If we have a look at this government’s, this parliamentary majority and incumbent authority’s genealogy, it becomes is a very logical approach, forasmuch as RPA has received 700.000 and more votes during the latest elections and the 90% it has received due to vote-buying. They have given 10.000 AMDs, received the vote and 700 times the mentioned. Can anyone explain me why should this government be interested in providing better living conditions for our citizens tomorrow than they are today, then they lived in on April 2, during the election day of 2017, why should they be interested in poverty disappearance, which accounts for 29.5% pursuant to today’s published official data? That is, it has not decreased, and pursuant to the data suggested by international organizations, it amounts to 35.6%. Why should this parliamentary majority want people to live better? It should not want that because if they live better, 10.000 drams will be not such a great amount for them to run and vote in favor of RPA.”
As stated by him, these authorities need for the Armenian citizen to dream for 10.000 drams, otherwise, they will not win any elections: “The absurd has reached a point that I do not understand if RPA MPs do not meet with Armenian citizens? People stop us on the street asking why we do not increase the pensions, why do we not make this country a good one. Dear Armenian citizens, we do not do that because of a very simple reason, because you have taken 10.000 drams and voted in favor of the continuation of your poverty. This is the consequence of your election. Enjoy it! You are not going to live well. As soon as you start to live in good conditions, these authorities will stop existing.”
He reminded that in RPA everyone is irreplaceable, and people have confirmed the mentioned by taking the 10.000 drams. “You are going to remain in poverty, continue remaining unprotected, a migrant, the way you are today.” He announced that “Yelq” will vote against the draft budget.
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
