Yesterday RA prime minister Serzh Sargsyan gave an interview to the chief editor of Azg daily Hakob Avetikyan on the air of H1. It was expected that the prime minister would speak about the upcoming presidential elections, notwithstanding he discussed mostly economic and social issues, some of which are presented herein.
-You have numerously said that the economic growth rate will be stabile and will keep at about 8-10% during the coming five years. What do you think? How can we keep such stability? We have certain macroeconomic development marks and specialists are explaining such achievements with the fact that the level of development of our economy has been so low that any small development seems to be a huge achievement and they say this tendency will disappear in the future. You have spoken about 8-10% economic growth rates. How will it be done?
-First, 8-10% is lower than the growth mark we have now. Second, I really think that for serious economies such 8-10 rates are considered to be a serious challenge. However, I am glad about the fact that we have fixed concrete rates and numbers in our governmental program for the coming years. Otherwise, how may our work be measured? Now, if we develop to a certain point we can see the results and compare. I believe that always there should be concrete goals, and this goal should be bigger in order not to leave any alternatives. It may sound strange, but we have convicted the office of the government to have such results, and if they don’t, it will mean that the system is tired already and it is time to change it. In other words, it is difficult, but at the same time real. As for the ways how we can do it, if we take into account the fact that the private sector makes a big part in the economy and that the biggest part of such growth is stipulated by construction and services, I think we should pay more attention to these fields. Besides that, I think we should also develop production and agriculture. We are going to do huge work for this purpose. We are decisive and we will do it.
-Yerevan is becoming interesting to people due to its problems, I mean the fact that everything is concentrated in one point. Armenia looks like an animal with a big head. It has a big head and beautiful body, but together with this active construction it is becoming annoying for people. Besides that there are many problems connected with traffic, transports. We have had such situation before too. I remember the period when the sidewalks were being reconstructed. People were nervous, we have written about those problems too. But this time it is unbearable and people are annoyed. What should be done to unload the city and take some centers to the regions? If there is a program, it means that it should also envisage the solution of this problem too.
-What you think is what we have to do. Certainly, we should unload Yerevan. It is needed for territorial proportional development. It means that the citizens of Tegh, village community, Koty, Vardenis, Shirak or Yerevan should have comparable conditions and comfort. The purpose of proportional development is this achievement. We will do our best to take some functional institutions from Yerevan to the regions and village communities.
Yes, the state should be like a connecting equipment, which gets huge financial resources and takes them to the rural communities. Certainly, Yerevan has many problems. Yes, Yerevan has ecological problems. We have a problem with fresh air, walking, playing yards, there are problems with garages. However, there should be effective solutions for these problems. We know that there are over 100 organizations in Armenia, which plant trees, but the results are not seen yet. Why? Because first of all we have to stop cutting trees, and then take care of trees, construct watering systems, etc. Certainly, Yerevan has a big problem with illegal construction. Every day I am having unpleasant conversation with the mayor and telling him that this construction should be stopped, this boutique should be removed, this pavement should be cleaned and so on. I don’t want to justify anyone, but this is a very difficult problem since during many years there were such things and sometimes those who make construction are doing their construction works according to projects that have been approved in the past and are old. Those people who are violating and doing illegal works understand this well too and when we are going and asking them what they are doing, they are just showing us the papers they have got before. I don’t want to accuse anyone. I am just telling the truth. This is a big problem that we have to solve. We don’t have a right to spoil Yerevan. Yerevan has a big problem with scavenging. It is a long time that I always ask about it and they tell me that very soon investors will come from overseas and will construct factories to solve the problem of that garbage. We have to solve these problems urgently. Certainly, Yerevan has a big problem with transports, but I think it is better to have problems than not to have it at all, I mean that ten years ago we couldn’t find cars in streets. I didn’t say this for justification, and we should find a solution for this problem too…
However, I want to draw your attention at one thing. It doesn’t depend on the efforts and even if we work very hard and try to manage the traffic we can’t solve the problem; only physical work and governmental orders are not enough to solve that problem. All we, included the drivers and pedestrians, should understand that the traffic is not only moving, but it also has problems connected with security and the drivers should look around to see whether there are pedestrians on the way or not. If the pedestrians cross the streets in inadmissible places, there may be accidents. People are doing the same things as before and thus it is a rather big problem. This is not a small problem and we should solve it. Yerevan has many problems such as the problems connected with buildings, roofs, elevators and other problems. Yesterday the government made a decision to provide 3 billion drams to the city administration office to cooperate with the municipalities, citizens’ councils and, why not, representatives of the society to reconstruct the elevators. We have big problems connected with elevators. All problems cannot be solved in one day, and if the problems are a result of development, we shouldn’t complaint since it is better to have more problems with development than small problems without development.
-All what you said means that there needs to be a number of new changes, it means that we should expect change of the system. Are you going to do all this work alone with the state office or the society and the businessmen will support you?
-I want to speak about businessmen particularly. I am sure that our businessmen will very soon realize that the main sources of their richness and wealth are the people, their workers, I mean that businessmen are acting as employers and they should take care of the sources of their wealth. Certainly, they should understand that it will be better for them if there are no poor people in the country and they should be interested in it since if there are poor children, the children of the rich cannot be happy. Certainly, they should do benevolence, but they should do it correctly, I mean they should contribute from their profits, but not from the share of money to be paid as taxes and such benevolence should last long. Benevolence should not be done from time to time, people should have a demand inside themselves to do benevolence. At least the rich people should understand that to have money does not mean to have many rights; to have money means to have many responsibilities and they should be the bearers of such responsibilities. All the rich people should understand that money cannot help them appear in paradise. I mean that to have money doesn’t mean that they may not go to hell, the only and best way for escaping from hell is remission of sins, but generally it is better not to make sins.
-We are between the post-election and new pre-election periods. This period is short. What problems do You see now?
-The answer to the question who won the parliamentary elections is that the Armenian Republican Party. No, the Republican party received the most number of votes during the elections, but the winner is the Republic of Armenia. Armenia really had many achievements after having organized such elections. And now, as it is said, these are just the flowers and we will reap too. We must organize good presidential elections, which will not be worse than the parliamentary elections…I am happy about the fact that according to the findings of both the domestic and foreign surveys, the half of the society thinks that the elections were fair, this fact is very exciting. Another good fact is that only 40% of the society thinks that there is no development, and the rest 60% is a very big rate. This inspires hope in me that it is possible to make serious reformations. Besides that, I want to find one more question for me; I think that even if you don’t speak about it, you wander what we have done since the recent elections. Here is my answer to this question. Firstly I will say what I have not done. God sees that I have not done bad things. It is about five months that I am in office and it wouldn’t be correct to say that the existing situation is due to me; we already have over 12 per cent growth rate. What have I been able to do? Both the others and I have worked hardly. Many people may have seen how long and how I worked. I think this is a very important factor when a person is doing his best to reach the goals. However, the most important thing that I have done is that once more I made it sure that the works that we have done during the recent years, which were done under the leadership of the republic’s president, gives an opportunity to be sure that Armenia will be much better tomorrow than now, and I also could make it sure that I can convince not only my friends, my big team and party members of this fact, but also our people. I believe when even not the persuasion, but the hope comes, our problems will be solved easier. This is the important thing that I have done.