On 2 Jan 2015, Armenia will find itself in quite new economic environment - something that the Government is absolutely not ready for. The statement came from Gurgen Arsenyan, parliamentarian from Prosperous Armenian Party Faction, in the Parliament, Thursday. The parliamentarian meant the country's accession to the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU).
According to him, not only the government is unready for the new economic environment, but also it does nothing to prepare the country's economy to such changes. It is not clear for Arsenyan, whether Armenia joins the EEU as an economic subject with its own economy, or like an unloved guest. He believes that it is necessary to minimize the negative impacts on the country's economy from accession to the new Union.
It is important to decide what Armenia will be engaged in after joining the EEU: either trade or industrial production that is demand in the markets of the EEU countries, the parliamentarian said and requested the Government to make public the number of enterprises that create the country's gross product.
"It is necessary to take immediate measures to develop industry, particularly, the light industry, that would be in demand in the EEU markets. It is not clear how the government will be assisting the economic entities," the parliamentarian said. He recalled that the only agricultural product in demand in the EEU markets is the Armenian brandy, but excise duty is levied on this product as well. This, as Arsenyan thinks, makes the local brandy not competitive. For conclusion, Arsenyan cited Russia's former prime minister Victor Chernomyrdin: "We wished our best, you know the rest."