Armenia's Economic Pulse

[Mher]

Re: Armenia's Economic Pulse

Mher you cannot use my own words to criticize me as I was the one who defended the government a long time using the same words. The issue is that over time the government has consistently been caught flat footed regarding domestic events, especially relating to economic betterment of the people. This is not about any particular issue, it is more about lacking either the will or the know how or both to improve the situation at hand. Plenty of economic opportunities have slipped through the hands of this government because of its own ineptitude or corruption. These negative qualities are in no way unique to the Armenian government but they are a major obstacles that prevent Armenia from reaching her potential. I was the only one here that defended the government for a looong time as most of the issues it was being blamed for were not of its own making. The reason why I am criticizing it now is because this administration has had a lot of time to build the economy and instill trust into the public yet it has not exactly succeeded in the former and definitely failed miserably in the later. Situational factors should always be considered such as the sabotage initiated by the west against Russia and her allies but this government has had time to react, it has had stability to create, it has had opportunities to waist. The potential to develop great trade and diplomatic relations with Iran is fading if it has not faded already as Iran has deemed the Armenian government unreliable as a partner in anything. What has the west or anyone else given us for honoring the unjust and stupid embargo? We lost major opportunities and got nothing in return...stupid, stupid, stupid!!!!! I was the one who pointed out before everybody else here including yourself that Armenia lacks true sovereignty and this is still very much true, the problem I have is that the government has not taken advantage of whatever opportunities that did exist despite all the obstacles. This government and its leader have been effective in strategic relations but not on the economic and social fronts. Trust between the people and the administration is nonexistent and this has a lot to do with the failures I mentioned. No one points to foreign meddlers more then I, but at some point the government needs to be held accountable for its own failures!

lol why is it always about russia for you man? why can't it ever just be about Armenia. Why do you have to make every single about Armenia relate to Russia. Anyway, the mighty Russian Federation was afraid to do business with Iran. Because the US controls the global financial system. Yet tiny little Armenia was supposed to stand up to the US?

[armnuke]

Re: Armenia's Economic Pulse

Mobile users number in Armenia - 2016 data
Mobile users number in Armenia in 2Q of 2016 (compared with 2014 4Q data)


3 434 396 - the number increased by 10 160 since 2014 4Q (penetration ~ 120%)


Distribution by mobile operators (and changes since 1Q):


Vivacell - 2 084 162 (-61 304)
Beeline - 863 562 (+86 384)
Ucom (former Orange) - 486 672 (-14 920)



The number of mobile users using internet from phone is 1 661 946

Distribution by mobile operators (and changes since 2014 4 Q):

Vivacell - 1 059 078 (+6 680)
Armentel/Beeline - 337 895 (+22 957)
Ucom - 264973 ( +9 592)

http://www.banman.am/2016/09/mobile-users-number-in-armenia-2016-data.html

[Haykakan]

Re: Armenia's Economic Pulse

lol why is it always about russia for you man? why can't it ever just be about Armenia. Why do you have to make every single about Armenia relate to Russia. Anyway, the mighty Russian Federation was afraid to do business with Iran. Because the US controls the global financial system. Yet tiny little Armenia was supposed to stand up to the US?

I think you can answer your own question regarding your first comment as no explanation should be needed. As for the second point..yes it would indeed be nice to see anyone grow some balls and do the right thing for a change. Russia has other reasons for doing what it does.

[armnuke]

Re: Armenia's Economic Pulse

ArmOil to commission oil refinery in 3-4 years

YEREVAN, September 5. /ARKA/. It will take the ArmOil company 3-4 years to commission an oil refinery in the town of Yeghvard in the central Kotayk province, economy minister Artsvik Minasyan told a last week Cabinet meeting, recalling that the company had been awarded already a 3-year VAT payment deferment in late 2015.

According to him, the company will invest in the construction of the refinery a total of $35 million (16.8 billion Armenian drams.

"The company decided to install modern technology and equipment in the refinery and had to increase the money for purchase of new equipment to 746.6 million drams, for which it has also been awarded a VAT payment deferment,’ Minasyan said.

http://arka.am/en/news/business/armoil_to_commission_oil_refinery_in_3_4_years/

[Federate]

Re: Armenia's Economic Pulse

Every single doom and gloom prediction from joining the EEU is collapsing one by one. The latest doom and gloom prediction to collapse is that "joining the EEU would hurt trade with Georgia." It hasn't, we have maintained our free trade with them and our trade is growing.


Armenian, Georgian Leaders Hail Growing Bilateral Trade

Armenia’s leaders and Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili hailed rapidly growing trade between their countries and called for its further expansion when they met in Yerevan on Monday.

Kvirikashvili held talks President Serzh Sarkisian and Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamian during an official visit to the Armenian capital.

Sarkisian told him that Georgian-Armenian relations should be deepened “in all areas” and raised to a “qualitatively new level.” According to a statement by Sarkisian’s office, Kvirikashvili agreed, saying that the increasingly “active” Georgian-Armenian economic ties bode well for that.

Kvirikashvili and Abrahamian were reported to praise “positive dynamics” in Georgian-Armenian trade at their separate meeting held earlier in the day. The Armenian premier spoke of “noticeable progress” in relations between the two neighboring statements.


“In recent years, Georgian-Armenian relations have been characterized by positive progress,” an Armenian government statement quoted Kvirikashvili as saying. He praised the “high level of cooperation in the economic field.”

According to Armenian government data, Armenia’s trade with Georgia rose by 17 percent in 2015 and as much as 63 percent in the first half of this year, even if it remained rather modest in absolute terms.

The rapid growth followed the 2014 signing of Georgia’s far-reaching Association Agreement with the European Union and Armenia’s controversial accession in January 2015 to the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU).

The EEU membership requires the Armenian authorities to gradually adopt significantly higher duties that are collected by Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan from goods imported from third countries. But contrary to many expectations, Armenia appears to have succeeded in maintaining its free-trade regime with Georgia and Armenia.

Abrahamian suggested on Monday the creation of Armenian-Georgian joint ventures in Armenia that would have tariff-free access to the Russian and other EEU markets. “Georgia’s prime minister welcomed the idea and proposed to discuss further steps in the format of a joint task force,” a read a statement released by his press service.

The statement said the two prime ministers also noted that the ongoing construction of a new bridge at the main Georgian-Armenian border crossing is proceeding according to plan. The two governments agreed to build it in 2014. They said the “friendship bridge” will facilitate bilateral commerce and travel.

Abrahamian and Kvirikashvili also discussed the planned construction of a new high-voltage transmission line connecting their Armenian and Georgian power grids. The $105 million facility should lead to a sharp increase in mutual electricity supplies.

Incidentally, Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze was among Georgian officials that accompanied Kvirikashvili on the trip.

http://www.azatutyun.am/a/27968516.html

[Haykakan]

Re: Armenia's Economic Pulse

Every single doom and gloom prediction from joining the EEU is collapsing one by one. The latest doom and gloom prediction to collapse is that "joining the EEU would hurt trade with Georgia." It hasn't, we have maintained our free trade with them and our trade is growing.


Armenian, Georgian Leaders Hail Growing Bilateral Trade
Armenia’s leaders and Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili hailed rapidly growing trade between their countries and called for its further expansion when they met in Yerevan on Monday.

Kvirikashvili held talks President Serzh Sarkisian and Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamian during an official visit to the Armenian capital.

Sarkisian told him that Georgian-Armenian relations should be deepened “in all areas” and raised to a “qualitatively new level.” According to a statement by Sarkisian’s office, Kvirikashvili agreed, saying that the increasingly “active” Georgian-Armenian economic ties bode well for that.

Kvirikashvili and Abrahamian were reported to praise “positive dynamics” in Georgian-Armenian trade at their separate meeting held earlier in the day. The Armenian premier spoke of “noticeable progress” in relations between the two neighboring statements.


“In recent years, Georgian-Armenian relations have been characterized by positive progress,” an Armenian government statement quoted Kvirikashvili as saying. He praised the “high level of cooperation in the economic field.”

According to Armenian government data, Armenia’s trade with Georgia rose by 17 percent in 2015 and as much as 63 percent in the first half of this year, even if it remained rather modest in absolute terms.

The rapid growth followed the 2014 signing of Georgia’s far-reaching Association Agreement with the European Union and Armenia’s controversial accession in January 2015 to the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU).

The EEU membership requires the Armenian authorities to gradually adopt significantly higher duties that are collected by Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan from goods imported from third countries. But contrary to many expectations, Armenia appears to have succeeded in maintaining its free-trade regime with Georgia and Armenia.

Abrahamian suggested on Monday the creation of Armenian-Georgian joint ventures in Armenia that would have tariff-free access to the Russian and other EEU markets. “Georgia’s prime minister welcomed the idea and proposed to discuss further steps in the format of a joint task force,” a read a statement released by his press service.

The statement said the two prime ministers also noted that the ongoing construction of a new bridge at the main Georgian-Armenian border crossing is proceeding according to plan. The two governments agreed to build it in 2014. They said the “friendship bridge” will facilitate bilateral commerce and travel.

Abrahamian and Kvirikashvili also discussed the planned construction of a new high-voltage transmission line connecting their Armenian and Georgian power grids. The $105 million facility should lead to a sharp increase in mutual electricity supplies.

Incidentally, Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze was among Georgian officials that accompanied Kvirikashvili on the trip.

http://www.azatutyun.am/a/27968516.html

And all this despite western sabotage. I still say there are opportunities being missed due to incompetence and lack of imagination on our part.

[Mher]

Re: Armenia's Economic Pulse

Every single doom and gloom prediction from joining the EEU is collapsing one by one. The latest doom and gloom prediction to collapse is that "joining the EEU would hurt trade with Georgia." It hasn't, we have maintained our free trade with them and our trade is growing.


Armenian, Georgian Leaders Hail Growing Bilateral Trade

Armenia’s leaders and Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili hailed rapidly growing trade between their countries and called for its further expansion when they met in Yerevan on Monday.

Kvirikashvili held talks President Serzh Sarkisian and Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamian during an official visit to the Armenian capital.

Sarkisian told him that Georgian-Armenian relations should be deepened “in all areas” and raised to a “qualitatively new level.” According to a statement by Sarkisian’s office, Kvirikashvili agreed, saying that the increasingly “active” Georgian-Armenian economic ties bode well for that.

Kvirikashvili and Abrahamian were reported to praise “positive dynamics” in Georgian-Armenian trade at their separate meeting held earlier in the day. The Armenian premier spoke of “noticeable progress” in relations between the two neighboring statements.


“In recent years, Georgian-Armenian relations have been characterized by positive progress,” an Armenian government statement quoted Kvirikashvili as saying. He praised the “high level of cooperation in the economic field.”

According to Armenian government data, Armenia’s trade with Georgia rose by 17 percent in 2015 and as much as 63 percent in the first half of this year, even if it remained rather modest in absolute terms.

The rapid growth followed the 2014 signing of Georgia’s far-reaching Association Agreement with the European Union and Armenia’s controversial accession in January 2015 to the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU).

The EEU membership requires the Armenian authorities to gradually adopt significantly higher duties that are collected by Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan from goods imported from third countries. But contrary to many expectations, Armenia appears to have succeeded in maintaining its free-trade regime with Georgia and Armenia.

Abrahamian suggested on Monday the creation of Armenian-Georgian joint ventures in Armenia that would have tariff-free access to the Russian and other EEU markets. “Georgia’s prime minister welcomed the idea and proposed to discuss further steps in the format of a joint task force,” a read a statement released by his press service.

The statement said the two prime ministers also noted that the ongoing construction of a new bridge at the main Georgian-Armenian border crossing is proceeding according to plan. The two governments agreed to build it in 2014. They said the “friendship bridge” will facilitate bilateral commerce and travel.

Abrahamian and Kvirikashvili also discussed the planned construction of a new high-voltage transmission line connecting their Armenian and Georgian power grids. The $105 million facility should lead to a sharp increase in mutual electricity supplies.

Incidentally, Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze was among Georgian officials that accompanied Kvirikashvili on the trip.

http://www.azatutyun.am/a/27968516.html

Honestly the more time I spend in Armenia, and the more I realize how full of it everyone in this country is, the more faith I develop in our government. It's unbelievable how misinformed our population is and lazy our population is when it comes to facts, how willing they are to just repeat something without spending ten seconds verifying it on their phone. I used to think, maybe there are really some things I don't understand, and won't understand until I live in Armenia. Absolutely false. Almost nothing anyone believes here is based on fact or personal experience. It's all something they heard from the neighbor of the cousin of their mother in law. The daily conversations you have with people, their perception of life in Georgia, of corruption in Armenia. And these are conversations with high level professionals, with engineers, architects, and project managers, who have every opportunity to know better. I can't imagine what the average uneducated person thinks.

Anyway, Artsvik Minasyan for president sounds pretty good right about now

[Haykakan]

Re: Armenia's Economic Pulse

Honestly the more time I spend in Armenia, and the more I realize how full of it everyone in this country is, the more faith I develop in our government. It's unbelievable how misinformed our population is and lazy our population is when it comes to facts, how willing they are to just repeat something without spending ten seconds verifying it on their phone. I used to think, maybe there are really some things I don't understand, and won't understand until I live in Armenia. Absolutely false. Almost nothing anyone believes here is based on fact or personal experience. It's all something they heard from the neighbor of the cousin of their mother in law. The daily conversations you have with people, their perception of life in Georgia, of corruption in Armenia. And these are conversations with high level professionals, with engineers, architects, and project managers, who have every opportunity to know better. I can't imagine what the average uneducated person thinks.

Anyway, Artsvik Minasyan for president sounds pretty good right about now

The void you describe between reality and perception is in no small part due to the inability of the government to communicate with her people and develop trust. Malevolent forces are surely at play but what does the government do to enhance its own image among the people? There is a long history of corruption and only a fool would think that this scourge is now gone, but other governments with far more corruption enjoy a much higher level of trust among their populations compared to ours. This is the result of the lack of sophistication among our ruling elites. This same lack of imagination limits our economic development as well.

[armnuke]

Re: Armenia's Economic Pulse

Armenia is transiting Iranian gas to Georgia!!

24,7 million cubic meters of gas was exported to Georgia from Armenia in the first six months of 2016. The total number of the exported gas amounted to $6,2 million, the State Revenue Committee said in a statement Monday, September 6.
Georgia has thus paid over $250 per every 1000 cubic meters of gas received.
Iran and Georgia in the winter of 2016 agreed on the export of 500 million cubic meters of gas via Armenia.

http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/220067/62_mln_worth_gas_shipped_to_Georgia_from_Armenia

[armnuke]

Re: Armenia's Economic Pulse

Special thanks to Electric Yerevan.

Electric Networks of Armenia ends first half of 2016 with net profit of 15 billion drams

YEREVAN, September 6. /ARKA/. The Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA), Armenia’s national power distribution company, ended the first half of 2016 with the net profit of 15 billion drams, the local daily "Zhoghovurd" (People) says.

According to the newspaper, the company earned more than 151.1 billion drams from electricity sales, 33.5 billion drams in income, while its expenses were worth 18.5 billion drams, as a result the company’s net profit amounted to 15 billion drams.

The daily also notes that the company's losses for the second quarter of this year decreased again reaching 10%. In general, ENA’s losses rate this year made 10.7% or 303.5 million KWh, which is 60 million KWh less than in the first half of 2015.

http://arka.am/en/news/technology/electric_networks_of_armenia_ends_first_half_of_2016_with_net_profit_of_15_billion_drams/