01 May 2009, 20:00
Ter-Petrosyan: social disruption is possible in Armenia
If the state fails to promptly settle a range of problems, which have arisen in recent months in the social and economic sphere, spontaneous discontent of certain layers of population can grow into a serious disruption. This was stated at a rally on May 1 by Levon Ter-Petrosyan, the first president of Armenia and leader of the Armenian National Congress (ANC).
According to the politician, the Armenia's economy is under a serious threat as a consequence of depreciation of the national currency and inflation, which resulted in trade volume drop, which led, in its turn, to sharp reduction of taxes collected into the state budget.
In his opinion, the tax burden is in fact still born by impoverished representatives of small and medium businesses.
"So long as the President's chair is occupied by Sargsyan, the large business will continue to stay "in shadow" and evade from taxes," said the leader of the opposition.
According to Mr Ter-Petrosyan, after the rally of the opposition on March 1, where he predicted a radical aggravation of the social and economic situation, discontent has sharply grown up in minor traders and taxi drivers, who can be supported by budgetary sphere employees. "The state has no right to wash hands off, when problems arise between employers and workers; the state is obliged to settle such problems," he said.
In the last two months, Armenia saw strikes of taxi and minibus drivers, and traders at several fairs. According to official data, as of April 1, the number of job-seekers makes 99,000 (growth by 20.7%), and 20,500 of them are young people. As a whole, over 58% of the country's capable population is jobless.
Author: Lilit Ovanisyan Source: CK correspondent
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