ECONOMIST EDUARD AGHAJANOV: 2007 RA DRAFT STATE BUDGET HAS NOT
UNDEERGONE EXPERT EXAMINATION

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 15, NOYAN TAPAN. The 2007 RA state budget-envisaged
index of tax revenues/GDP is one of the lowest in the world.
Economist Eduard Aghajanov, formerly the head of the RA Statistical
Department, stated this during a meeting at the National Press Club on
December 12. In his words, it means that in 2007 the Armenian
authorities’ fight against cooruption "will have an inertional
character". E. Aghajanov considered as nonsense the fact that in 2007
it is envisaged to set a 2.3% deficit of the RA state budget because
even the most developed countries set at least a 3% deficit. He
expressed his discontent with the fact that by the 2007 budget, the
ratio of exports to GDP will make 20.1%, whereas in 2004 this index
made 27.5%. In his opinion, it means that "no development is
envisaged" in the Armenian economy in 2007. He noted that this index
"should make 60-70% in a country like Armenia." E. Aghajanov
connected the future of Armenia’s economy with its innovation
development.

It was mentioned that one of the signs of its absence is that the 2007
draft-envisaged allocations for science make up 0.19% of GDP. He did
not rule out that such indices were included in the 2007 state budget
because the draft has not undergone an expert examination. He
expressed an opinion that economists like former prime ministers Hrant
Bagratian and Armen Darbinian and former finance minister Eduard
Sandoyan wouldn’t decline to perform their civil duty by examining the
draft state budget.