"OLIGARCHS ARE GREAT SHARKS "

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Presidential candidate and leader of the “Orinats Yerkir” Party (OYP) Arthur Baghdasarian stated today that a considerable growth of prices will take place in Armenia after the presidential elections of February 19 “in case the present situation in the country is preserved and the authorities keep on reproducing.”

Today Arthur Baghdasarian met with representatives of small and medium-sized business, who had earlier voiced support for the OYP leader.

Arthur Baghdasarian voiced concern in connection with the “continuing monopolization of the country’s economy, which has greatly affected small and medium business in Armenia. The sphere is now facing the danger of being devoured by the economy of oligopoly. Due to the Government’s policy the entire burden of the tax and budget policy is laid on the shoulders of small and medium-sized businesses, while major businesses enjoy illegal privileges, therefore the number of small and medium-sized businesses decreased between 2005 and 2007.”

“We used to have over 900 small businesses which employed an average of 5 people each. Today their number has gone down by 20. The volume of production has fallen by 27.5 percent. Production has curtailed by 30 and employees by 15 percent,” Arthur Baghdasarian says.

He thinks the elimination of the lump-sum tax is an imprudent effort because it strikes small and medium-sized businesses which will have to pay more taxes now. Most of them will have to close down. The presidential candidate pledges to restore the lump-sum tax, as well as to raise the level of turnover liable to the lump-sum tax to 100 million drams. Arthur Baghdasarian also criticized the monetary policy which has created problems for local producers.

During the meeting the presidential candidate complained of the closure of about 250 currency exchange offices in the result of the policy followed by the Central Bank. “There must be equal opportunities for both supermarkets and shops, instead of tax privileges for one and no protection for the other,” says the OYP leader.

Oligarchs are great sharks who disobey the laws. Let’s look through the list of tax payers. Yerevan Pedgogical Institute pays higher taxes today than Armenia’s oligarchs owing great businesses,” Baghdasarian said. “Although the government of Armenia states that IT is an economic priority, and there is an intention to turn Armenia into a leader in the region, the efforts that are made are mere formality. It is clear that the speeches about turning Armenia into an IT leader of the region are fabricated.”

Provided Arthur Baghdasarian wins the presidential election, he plans to cut down taxes and duties and take efforts to develop small and medium business and improve the business-atmosphere in the country.