PRIME MINISTER REITERATES HIS PLEDGE TO DOUBLE WAGES, PENSIONS AND GDP

ARMENPRESS
Jan 28, 2008

YEREVAN, JANUARY 28, ARMENPRESS: Prime minister Serzh Sarkisian
reiterated his pledge to make Armenia a different country with better
living conditions, higher wages and retirement pensions if his country
fellows vote for him in the February 19 presidential election.

Addressing a crowd in Yerevan’s Erebuni district on Sunday Serzh
Sarkisian said the core of his program is to build a prosperous
Armenia.

"To make a judgment of a society’s moral standard we need to look at
what it is doing for its younger generation. I offer the concept of a
prosperous, protected Armenia , I propose that we build a country in
which young people will have good opportunities to grow and develop
and in which senior citizens will be protected and secured," he said.

Sarkisian admitted that the biggest problem is to eradicate poverty,
and this could be done with a strong and just state.

"We have a very good ground to build a prosperous Armenia, to at least
double wages, to double the government budget by 2012 and increase
per capita GDP to 7,000 US Dollars," he said.

Serzh Sarkisian said when he had worked as interior and national
security minister in 1996-1999 many government ministers, court judges
and officials were tried and sentenced to different prison terms for
abuse of their powers. He vowed to renew the crackdown on corruption
and pursue the fight for justice.

The same day Sarkisian met also with residents of Nubarashen district
of Yerevan.