YEREVAN. – The 2013 State Budget is the worst budget in the past four years, opposition bloc Armenian National Congress representative, economist Vahagn Khachatryan stated during a press conference on Monday, the Armenian News-NEWS.am reporter informs.  

In his words, this budget says nothing and it has no prospect. “This budget promises nothing to business. The pessimistic sentiments are growing, after getting familiarized with this budget, and those who had a half desire to leave the country will have more desire to leave after this budget,” Khachatryan said.  

He added that such proposals need to be made in Armenia that the citizenry would wish to stay in the country, but all this is absent in this budget. And, as per the economist, the draft budget leaves an impression that the Government was compelled to introduce this document by the coercion of the law, since it had shouldered a greater burden with the 2012 State Budget than with the 2013 draft budget.     

“2013 is an election year [that is, presidential elections will be held in February] and, with this budget, the ruling power seems to be saying ‘don’t elect me,”’ Vahagn Khachatryan added.