The poorly developed civil society or if you wish its absence in the society create great opportunities for the government. As a matter of fact they get real spoilt. The National Assembly is currently discussing the bill on raising the salaries and wages of statesmen and high-rank officials of the country. Several days ago the parliament was planning to create three new committees in the NA. They don’t much care who’s going to pay the expenses of these extra structures. It means that in near future there will be three more state cars serving the committee, which will of course include the drivers. Besides there will be three short-skirted secretaries-receptionists with their proficient knowledge of English and Armenian. Three offices will be renovated and at least three new phone numbers will be rented. And all this, even the short-skirted secretaries will be paid at the expense of the state budget. It is the state budget, which cannot afford to take a decent care of the education and social issues of the country and cannot reduce the VAT for years now. This 20% tax has been robbing the pockets of consumers for years and crates unfavorable business conditions for entrepreneurs. In the country where the retiring teacher is getting only 25.000 AMD a month and 50.000 for the military servant the MP is planning to make 600.000 AMD per month. The guys perhaps don’t know how much the families of the deceased soldiers are receiving as subsidy. Otherwise, I think they would be ashamed of their bill. Let us eave aside the functioning of the NA and its use to the society. Our MPs have never been outstanding with their diligence. Every time they amend the NA bylaw they reduce the working days of the NA. Of course they always remind the society just like in tales that not only full sessions of the NA are the real working days of the MPs. They pretend that they are working in the committees, etc. Due to the means of the state budget the society makes sure that their offices are dry and clean, warm in winter and cool in summer. But perhaps the MPs don’t get quite well that these conditions are created for them to work efficiently on behalf of the people. Now they are bringing up new conditions for working, such as raising salaries. The bill also offers increasing the salary of the ministers, prime minister and the president. Perhaps the executive is included to ensure that they don’t get to ask spare questions or resist the bill adoption. If the executive asks them questions they can say for example that they are getting the means at the expense of “3rd, 5th and 10th of the 9th block of the state budget.” The society will not understand anything from this answer. Some may presume that perhaps the government is planning to curtail the state cabinet expenses and thus increase salaries. But if the government sees that the NA is planning to increase salaries at the expense of the social welfare sectors they will understand that the guys are quite expedient in their plans. Back in 1992 the government of Estonia made a decision about raising the salaries of the ministers. At that time a group of students from universities took a sack of coins and put in front of the government building with a letter attached, which said that they are trying to help the socially vulnerable MPs. The government of Estonia cancelled this decision because of shame. Our students didn’t do that when last year the salary of the former deputy prime minister was increased by 20-25 thousand AMD. They didn’t do anything now maybe thinking that the methods, which work in civil societies, cannot work here.
