YEREVAN. - The government states that its programs focus on people, but the recent bill calls this into question, ARF-Dashnaktsutyun MP Artsvik Minasyan said in the parliament today at the debate on raising the excise tax on cigarettes, vodka, petrol and diesel fuel, as well as its application to gas for cars. 

After several months, the government states that the price rise is due to the demands of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), although nothing had been told about this before. If so, the only thing left to do is to ask the IMF how this requirement can be implemented in the light of the current economic indicators of Armenia, Minasyan said.   

According to the data of the National Statistical Service published on October 20, the fall in retail trade from the beginning of the year constituted 5,6%. “And what will happen when the bill comes into force? The prices will get higher, while the turnover will fall,” the MP said.