CHANGES IN GOVERNMENT
Lragir.am
Country – 09 March 2015, 11:09
Armenian exporters are at a loss. Their main market is Russia, and as
businessmen note, they have been told to “wait”. The reason is the
financial and economic situation in Russia. According to official
statistics, exports to Russia in January plummeted by 99.9%.
Instead, exports to other countries increased, while Armenia is
officially a member of the Eurasian Economic Union. Although they
waive a hand saying it is temporary, “temporary” may last years.
These tendencies showed that membership to the EEU have driven Armenia
to the financial and economic edge. On the other hand, increase of
export to third countries show that companies are trying to find other
ways which is, however, a difficult process. The succeeding governments
of Armenia have always chosen what was closer, that is Russia, instead
of diversifying the economy, modernizing it and making it competitive.
It takes years, as well as managers with different mindset and values.
The Armenian government is not capable of these changes. The hasty
steps that are being taken now indicate lack of strategy.
This is not a surprise. The government is the representation of the
oligarchic system which is based on quotas, monopolies and surplus
profit. This system keeps the profits and makes up for its losses at
the people’s expense. This scheme, however, has stopped working.
The “fair” scheme proposed by Hovik Abrahamyan, which envisages for
each official and businessman to be responsible for “part” of its
“losses” is not working either. However, as time showed, nobody wants
to pay or otherwise puts forth unrealistic conditions.
In other words, the external and external conjuncture has fully changed
the state of things, and hasty and fundamental steps are needed which
will be aimed at the structure of the economy. However, an oligarchic
government cannot take such steps because they immediately concern
its interests.
The inevitable process of redistribution of property can be a partial
solution but it will just prolong the economic premises of the system
and will not lead to improvement of the general economic situation.
Hence, the issue of change of the structure of the government and the
economy has become an objective need. No matter how long this process
lasts, the situation of the country will be complicated. Besides,
the state of the oligarchic circles who are already facing a danger
will further get complicated. Gagik Tsarukyan is a vivid example.