Friday, April 20 2018 11:55

ArmInfo. Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan is confident that the standard of living of the country's population has clearly improved over the past decade.  "Armenia's GDP, both in dollar and dram terms, has doubled on average over the past 10 years," Sargsyan said in an interview with Shant TV. At the same time, the prime minister is surprised that this fact is ignored by the public.

According to Sargsyan, within 10 years Armenia has overcome wars and  crises, faced with numerous external and internal challenges.  Nevertheless, the country not only resisted, but also developed. "Why  do not we see this development?" Armenian GDP in 2007 was 2 trillion  656 drams, and as of January 1 of this year, 5 trillion 580 billion,  that is, the economy grew by 2.1 times, "he said. However, for the  opponents who can declare the depreciation of the dram, the prime  minister announced figures in dollars - $ 6 billion 385 million in  2007, $ 11 billion 560 million as of January 1, 2018 - an increase of  1.8 times. At the same time, in order to avoid possible speculation  on inflation, the head stressed that if the real GDP index today  is142% instead of 100% in 2007. A similar picture, as Serzh Sargsyan  pointed out, in the case of a share of GDP per capita.

Concerning the incomes and expenditures of the population, Serzh  Sargsyan noted that during the reporting period the minimum and  average monthly salaries increased. The minimum wage in 2007 was 15  thousand drams, and today 55 thousand, the average salary was 62  thousand, and now 184 thousand drams. "I'm talking about the average  salary, if we talk about annual rates, then the figure will be  significantly high - the average salary has grown three-fold, is not  it a change? How to do it to increase 100 times. And is there  precedent in the world so that wages immediately increase 100 times.  "There is no such thing," he said.

The Prime Minister is convinced that the life of the citizens of  Armenia has definitely improved. This is, as he noted, a sharp  increase in the savings of the population. "In 2007, the deposits of  individuals amounted to 143.3 billion, and at the beginning of 2018 1  trillion 553 billion drams, that is, the population's savings  increased almost 11-fold," the prime minister said.

Another sign of improving the quality of life, Serzh Sargsyan  considers a double increase in the number of imported cars. "If in  2007 333 thousand cars were registered in Armenia, then in January  2018 there were 616 thousand cars," Sargsyan stressed.

Nevertheless, the problem of the 30% poverty level is still relevant  in the country. This, according to the head of government, is cause  for concern. "Poverty is not estimated by income, but consumption."  There is something to think about, "the prime minister said.

We note that, according to official statistics, poverty in Armenia  still holds at the level of 29.4%, of which 1.9% is extremely poor.  According to the World Bank projections, the poverty level in Armenia  will decrease in 2017-2018 to 24.1-23.2%, against 24.9% in 2016 and  25.6% in 2015. Meanwhile, on May 18, 2017, from the rostrum of the  National Assembly of Armenia addressing the deputies of the sixth  convocation parliament, the third president of Armenia, Serzh  Sargsyan, stated that the percentage of the poor in the total number  of the population in the next five years should be no more than 18%,  and in 2040 year - 7-8%. As for Armenia's GDP per capita, according  to the estimates of the Armenian Ministry of Finance, it will exceed  $ 4,000 in 2019, at the same time Serzh Sargsyan said earlier that by  2040 the GDP per capita in the republic is to be raised to about $  15,000, considering both GDP growth rates, and the planned  improvement of the demographic situation.