CAR INDUSTRY IS NOT SAUSAGE MAKING
Lragir
Sept 4 2007
Armenia
We need effective governance, new technologies in economy to make
Armenia competitive in the region, said the leader of the National
Democratic Party Shavarsh Kocharyan on September 4 at the Hayeli
Club. He said Armenia is behind of all the countries of the region by
the rate of development and competitiveness. Shavarsh Kocharyan says
if Armenia does not have natural resources, oil, gas, etc, it does
not mean it has no resource to go ahead and become competitive. The
leader of the National Democratic Union says democracy is this
resource. "Armenia has significant opportunities. These opportunities
depend on the state of the political sphere, movement towards
democracy," Shavarsh Kocharyan says.
Hrant Bagratyan who was also hosted by the Hayeli Club agrees that
Armenia is behind of its regional neighbors by all the main indices.
He gave some indices regarding the correlation of the budget and the
GDP. Hrant Bagratyan says in 1995 the budget of Armenia totaled 19.9
percent of the GDP. "It is the budget, including the grants. Georgia
was 11 percent, Azerbaijan 16.6 percent, Iran 23.1 percent, Turkey
21.7 percent," Hrant Bagratyan compares, showing that over this period
Armenia has developed indeed but our neighbors developed faster.
Hrant Bagratyan disagrees Azerbaijan develops thanks to oil. Hrant
Bagratyan says industries are growing in our neighboring country at
a high rate. "Besides IT, Azerbaijan is developing car industry. Soon
the car factory will be operated. Car industry has 1520 manufacturing
processes, unlike food industry, sausages and ice cream or sweets
which have three manufacturing processes," Hrant Bagratyan says. By
enumerating this difference he it is not a matter of arguing that
it used to be better before than now but that maybe the track the
country had chosen was the right one.