RURAL AREAS IN THE CENTER OF ATTENTION

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
15 March 05

`Azat Artsakh’ regularly touches upon the program of development of
small business. This is not accidental for this sphere is directly
connected withthe development of industries, the flow of investments
into this sphere, maximum use of internal resources, as well as
employment and growth of people’s income and ability to pay. The
program has also a positive effect on the process of internal and
external migration in the country, as well as the flow of rural
inhabitants into towns. The state strategy of development of small
business (especially in the recent years) had a significant role in
the economic andsocial rehabilitation of the country. It is enough to
say that in 2004 82 per cent of the production in the republic was
produced by the private sector. It isnot a secret that small business
in the republic is mainly based in the capital and other
towns. Mainly. However, it would be much more useful if the rural
areas were not left without attention. In this reference the carpet
weaving factory `ArtsakhGorg’ operating in Stepanakert for about a
decade took steps worth praising. The material and technical basis and
the quality of the production enabled `ArtsakhGorg’ to become a branch
of `ArmenCarpet’ (owned by the heirs of the famous company
`Megerian’). `Our cooperation with the Armenian company has good
prospects and is mutually profitable,’ said the owner of `
ArtsakhGorg’ Robert Babayan. `First of all, the orders we receive from
the parent company increased. With the growth of the volume of
production we decided to not only expand the production (where about
30 people are employed) but also to involve rural areas. We chose the
village of Shosh, Askeran region. The new workshop was operated in a
short period (the head of the community Y. Abrahamian endeavoured to
do the best for the undertaking because the problem of employment of
part of the inhabitants of the village would be solved). For already a
month ten young carpet weavers have been working in the Shosh branch
of the carpet factory. Another 20 people are waiting. They will be
involved in the production gradually, simply there is a problem of
area and training,’ said Robert Babayan. Recently the owner of the
factory decided to open the second branch of the factory in the
village of Avetaranots, Askeran region. Last Saturday Robert Amirian
met with the head of the community who promised to provide building
and make a list of the persons who would wish to work in the branch of
the company. According to the preliminary arrangement the branch of
Avetaranots will have 50 workers. They also discussed the question of
developing sheep breeding to produce wool and thread in the country
instead of importing it.The program of sheep breeding will be
implemented on the means of the owner of the factory.

NIKOLAY BAGHDASSARIAN.
15-03-2005