Friday, December 6 2019 12:43

ArmInfo. The state budget of Armenia in 2020 is inherently truly revolutionary. This was announced on December 6 from the rostrum of the National Assembly of the  Republic of Armenia by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Recalling that December 7 is celebrated in Armenia as the Day of  Remembrance for the Victims of the Earthquake, the Prime Minister  emphasized that the budget is also revolutionary for the Spitak  earthquake zone, since in 2020 an unprecedented amount of funding of  3 billion drams will be allocated to solve its problems. "In  retrospect, the amount in such volumes was not even close," said the  head of government. He said that next year the problems of all those  citizens to whom the state has obligations will be resolved. And  this, as Nikol Pashinyan noted, means the beginning of the process of  a new stage in the restoration of the Spitak earthquake zone, which  should be implemented according to a completely new logic, the  essence of which is a social emergency. At the same time, it will not  be a question of solving current pressing social problems, but along  the path of development of the earthquake zone. In particular, the  city of Gyumri should be completely freed from the wagon-houses,  despite the fact that the state has obligations regarding not all  residents of these wagons. The history of each house-trailer a  history is formed, a separate approach will be applied to each such  house. These wagon-houses, the head of government continued, are the  number one problem that impedes the realization of the potential of  the second most important city in Armenia.

He touched on the prime minister and the theme of defense spending.  According to him, from 2018 to today, defense spending has increased  by 66 billion drams or up to 28% of GDP. During this period, an  unprecedented number of armaments and armed equipment was acquired in  comparison with previous years. The Armenian government, Nikol  Pashinyan assured, will continue this policy in 2020 in order to  maintain a balance of power in the region, and serious steps have  already been taken in this direction.

The prime minister recalled that the revolutionary budget of 2020 was  supported by the results of the economic policy of the government in  2019. According to him, over the nine months of this year, the  country's GDP growth amounted to 7.5%, which is the highest indicator  compared to growth in the EAEU countries, the region and post-Soviet  states. At the same time, industrial production in the country grew  by 8.8% with the processing industry growing by 9.9%, construction by  4.5%, trade and services by 15.1%. At the same time, the volume of  trade grew by 8.9%, exports - by 7.2%, wage growth amounted to 5.9%.   Against this background, Nikol Pashinyan continued, the country  recorded the lowest inflation in the reporting period. According to  the World Food Program, world food prices this year increased by an  average of 6%, while in Armenia the growth was only 0.6%. All this,  the prime minister continued, speaks of maintaining inflation at an  unprecedented low level. Moreover, in a number of areas even  deflation has been recorded. The agricultural sector recorded an  increase in exports - for finished food products by 14.9%, for plant  products - by 15.2%. Exports of cucumbers alone increased by 459%. At  the same time, all supply routes of cucumbers of Turkish origin were  closed, which were transported to the markets of the EAEU countries  under the guise of Armenian ones.

Against this background, the Prime Minister expressed dissatisfaction  with the position of a number of political opposition forces, which  seek to see only the negative in the actions of the country's  authorities.  So, according to Nikol Pashinyan, in June of this year,  the country recorded a 3% increase in GDP, which was the subject of  discussions with representatives of the opposition field. And this  despite the fact that the country's international reserves as of  October 2019 turned out to be at a historical level. Compared to  October 2018, this year they increased by $ 386 million, or 19%. For  the first time, the Central Bank of the Republic of Armenia sold in  the domestic currency market in an unprecedented amount of $ 521  million, which led to an increase in economic activity.  Nikol  Pashinyan also said that the state budget of Armenia in 2019 will be  exceeded by 89 billion drams.  "This is concrete money, where did it  come from if our opponents talk about the falsehood of statistics,"  the Prime Minister said. This year, the state will completely close  its debts to business entities under the VAT that has accumulated  over the past 30 years. 56 billion drams were allocated for these  purposes. "People have already lost hope of receiving them, and we  came to him with a question, do you need money for a brother?" Said  Nikol Pashinyan, adding that these debts were accumulated not by the  current government, but by the previous ones.  He also noted that the  volume of investments did not suit the government of the country, but  there was a process that was picking up pace. The investor, first of  all, is interested in the ratings of the state by such authoritative  structures as "Mudis", "Fitch", as well as the results of placed  Eurobonds.  All these revolutionary actions, as emphasized by the  Prime Minister, have led to an increase in state budget revenues by  353 billion drams over the past 1.5 years.  The prime minister again  called on taxpayers to fulfill their tax obligations to the state,  since those who hide taxes and steal, steal from a soldier who at the  risk of his life at the border protects everyone, including those who  are discussing within the walls of parliament. Today, everything is  being done so that the command of the armed forces is focused on  fulfilling its obligations.  He also said that in 2019, per capita  GDP of Armenia for the first time exceeded the indicators of  neighboring Georgia, and in 2020 by the republic will surpass  Azerbaijan in this indicator. "Over the past 20 years, Armenia on  this indicator has always been the last, in the next we will be the  first in the year, "Nikol Pashinyan assured.  "In reality, our  affairs are doing well, and this is the most important news, next  year things will go even better," the RA Prime Minister concluded.