WAR IMPOSED BY AZERBAIJAN CAUSES HUGE DAMAGE TO NKR’S ECONOMY: GHUKASYAN
Arka News Agency, Armenia
Aug. 31, 2006
STEPANAKERT, August 31. /ARKA/. The war imposed by Azerbaijan caused
huge damage to the NKR’s economy by destroying its almost entire
infrastructure, NKR President Arkady Ghukasyan reported Thurdsday,
answering the questions of readers of Azat Artsakh republic electronic
newspaper in connection with the 15th anniversary of the NKR’s
independence.
He said that the national economy of Karabakh in the soviet period,
which is frequently referred to while comparing with the current
situation, had a totally different direction; it was a planned economy
and was fully dependent on the Azerbaijani Soviet Republic.
That is why, after the war the NKR should have developed its economy
in a totally different direction, starting from the very beginning.
Ghukasyan pointed out that starting from 1995, the annual growth of the
GDP remains at the stable level of 10%. Over this time, cash income
of the population increased no less than eight times. In general,
in the post-war years, 50 new schools have been built due to all
the funding sources, and 64 schools have been repaired, more seven
schools are still under construction.
Over 170 km of gas pipelines of high pressure and 250 km of medium
pressure, and also about 380 km of low pressure were launched; as a
result, gas supply in Stepanakert, Askeran, Martuni, Shushi and 43
villages has been completed. The full gas supply in the NKR is to be
completed in a few years to come.
"Over the period mentioned above, the overall length of the built
highways has exceeded 250 km. Construction works for improvement of
central streets 120 km long have been completed in the capital and
regional centers of the country. The water supply infrastructure has
been restored in more than 80 settlements," the NKR president reported.
The president said that thanks to the establishment of an attractive
investment climate, over the last seven years alone, the amount of
foreign investments to the NKR exceeded $80 mln.
"This is considerable money. However, it is not enough for a complete
development of Karabakh economy and solution to the entire complex
of existing social problems," the president reported.
"Unfortunately, due to its unrecognized status, the NKR is still
deprived of a possibility to receive investments from international
financial structures, and that is why, we should further develop the
private sector of economy that will allow new working places to be
created, sustains small and medium business. The NKR top authorities
does and do everything possible to facilitate the difficulties of
the socioeconomic transformation that the citizens encounter at the
current transition period," NKR president said.