Armenian Economy

[TigranJamharian]

the government is painting a very rosy picture with 13% growth last year but im a little skeptical and i think most of it is artificial and not real growth since most of the growth is money from the lincy foundation and centered in yerevan meanwhile the outer cities have almost no progress compared to yerevan

[xBaron Dants]

I believe the 13% is pretty close to accurate, as the construction going on is craaaaaaaaaazy. Yes, the regions must be developped, but that is slowly coming along too. Just last week I was reading an article on how the government (and the Lincy Foundation) are investing in cities such as Vanadzor, where cultural centers and schools are being built in order to return it to its previous form, when it was a pretty strong cultural center.

I'm sure many of you read this, as it was on all Armenian websites lately, but Armenia was found to be the least corrupt of the CIS states according to Transparency International, ranking (I think) around number 76 in the list of least corrupt nations. While that is not an AMAZING achievment, it is pretty reassuring, as Azerbaidjan and Georgia were ranked somewhere between number 125 and 130, out of 130 countries.

Slowly but surely, we're getting there...

[anileve]

GDP can be quite deceiving at times. Armenia’s GDP growth rate is 12.7%, but Unemployment Rate is 20% and Population below poverty line is 50%. This is a simple display of the growth in Foreign Business Intervention, not necessarily in the improvement in the economic conditions for the population.

[xBaron Dants]

Good point anileve. But in the long run, one won't go without the other. More money will mean more jobs, yevayln, yevayln.

[anileve]

Let’s hope Baronchik, because the economic conditions for the average class is identical to those during the wonderful reign of Ter Petrosyan. More money from Foreign Businesses means Kocharian and his Crew Fund which consist of mansions in Jermuk and vacations abroad.
Many of my relatives and family friends immigrated to Moscow or other locations to make a living.

[TigranJamharian]

i dont think kocharian is the problem . hes not a bad guy, its the corrupt republicans especially markarian and even serzh sarkisian

[anileve]

They are all a part of the same Mob. Check out their salaries in comparison to the regular citizens. Besides, anywone can become a Congressman as long as they have money.

[xBaron Dants]

Sargsyan is not liked at all by the Armenian public. He is arrogant, openly corrupt, and his ministry is comprised of people who have a reputation of being unsafe and violent drivers.

But then again, which politician is liked?
I would have to say FA Minister Vartan Osganian. I believe he is one of the few (if not the only one) who does not steal money from the country. Apparently, while other politicians with less important roles are seen cruising around with their Mercedes-s and 2 SUVs following them, Osganian is usually seen walking by himself to get somewhere.

Armenia needs more of people like him involved in politics.

[Shahumyan]

The whole government are quite accurately described as "a mob". Look at S. Sarkissians hold on the petroleum on the country, while the average worker has to pay extrodinary amounts for petrol. Why is this? Where is the money going to? into the Mobs pockets.

The fact of the matter is Kocharian won through a rigged election, and shows how illigetimate he really is.

I think its to easy to drop into the idea of "see no evil, here no evil..." These "politicians" are robbing from the people, they are undemocratic, and unrepresentative of the people.

What is the solution? to vote in another batch of self serving careerists like Serzh? Or to replacee it with a genuinly democratic workers democracy?

[xBaron Dants]

Originally posted by Shahumyan The whole government are quite accurately described as "a mob". Look at S. Sarkissians hold on the petroleum on the country, while the average worker has to pay extrodinary amounts for petrol. Why is this? Where is the money going to? into the Mobs pockets.

The fact of the matter is Kocharian won through a rigged election, and shows how illigetimate he really is.

I think its to easy to drop into the idea of "see no evil, here no evil..." These "politicians" are robbing from the people, they are undemocratic, and unrepresentative of the people.

What is the solution? to vote in another batch of self serving careerists like Serzh? Or to replacee it with a genuinly democratic workers democracy?

lol, we've got an ardent commie on board do we?
Shahumyan, by the way, was a greeeeaaaat man, and quite a good choice for a nick.

What are you suggesting though? A socialist/communist regime? Or getting rid of the corruption?

[Shahumyan]

Hello Dansig!

What i am suggesting is a change of government from a bourgeois state to a workers state. Ie to a communist state. However, we must never return to the state of affairs from 1921-1991. This was a sickening show of humanity, and something which we must actively fight against. This was stalinism, a disease which must be overthrown.

However, even stalinismism was more progressive than capitalism. Lets not forget there are 30 million people in America below poverty line. What will happen to armenia which will at best become a semi-colonial nation??

What i want is for people everywhere to be able to live enjoyable lives, not to scrape by.

On the subject of corruption, we must say what was the cause of corruption in the past?
Well, i think it is clear that it was due to the formation of a beurocracy, and how it divorced itself from the people. This is the case with the government officials today, who even have to gain bribes to bribe their people higher up in their hierarchy...

Shahumyan was indeed a graet man, uunfortunately murdered by the British imperialists in Baku along with the azeri comrades.

Im sure Baron Dants was quite a good fellow himself :)