Monday, September 2 2019 14:40

ArmInfo.We began to address issues related to social inequality in the country. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this in an interview with Nouvelle  d'Armenie magazine.

He noted that at the beginning of this year, the size of the  allowance was increased so that a person had the opportunity to  provide himself with a minimum food basket. Moreover, the salary of  servicemen was also increased. " From September 1, teachers' salaries  will also be increased, and on January 1, 2020, the issue of the size  of pensions will also be reviewed. From January 1, 140,000 employees  will also be raised due to changes in the Tax Code. Starting from  July 1, 2018, the income of 200,000 citizens was increased due to the  reform of the pension system. One of our main achievements is that we  expanded the possibility of easy integration into the business  environment, "Pashinyan emphasized.

The prime minister noted that the corruption system was previously  held back by the fact that people were actually kept in poverty so  that during the elections they could buy their votes for 5,000 drams,  and thus ensure their victory. "People don't need such a system, they  need to be socially secure. About 20-25 years ago, oligarchs  distributed rice to people, assuring that they help people in this  way, but they deceived you.  The only way to ensure your economic  independence is to work, and that's what we are doing now - we exempt  microbusiness from all taxes, we provide free medical services to  people aged 0 to 18 years across the country, we expand the range of  free medical services for unsecured, military and vulnerable groups  of people. Social benefits are increasing so that everyone can  provide himself or herself with a food minimum.  In the field of  education, we are doing everything possible so that not a single  student is expelled from the university due to financial problems.  But we also note that people themselves must take care of their  family, "Pashinyan emphasized.

According to him, people should not appeal to the government, asking  them to "give them position". "The government provides people and  their children with medical care, as well as a minimum income, so  that the inhabitants of the country do not starve. But people must  themselves act and create conditions that are comfortable for them. A  person cannot ask the government to buy him a TV, he or she must work  and buy a TV for his or her money. The task of the government is to  create the necessary conditions for work, "the prime minister  emphasized.

According to Pashinyan, today in Armenia there are thousands of free  jobs. With the same approach, tax reform is underway. Today in  Armenia there are three income tax thresholds - 36% for high-income  individuals, 27% for middle-income individuals and 23% for low-income  individuals. "We lower the income tax threshold for all citizens to  23%, and in the next 5 years it will decrease to 20%. Some people  accuse us of providing a policy that is based on the interests of the  rich population. To which we answer, yes, it's indeed, because the  one who has a high income did not sit under a tree in anticipation of  good luck, because in the end, the one who studied a lot and received  a competitive education has the right to reap the benefits of his  labor. Not only uneducated workers should live in Armenia, but this  message that we must convey to our youth, "the Prime Minister of  Armenia emphasized.

Pashinyan said that having exempted microbusiness from taxes,  convenient conditions for work are created for a number of people  without appropriate qualifications. "Our goal is to convey to the  person that, working and receiving only 60,000 drams, he cannot  secure his future. We exempt people from tax, we offer them loans on  concessional terms, so that the latter engage in entrepreneurship,  realize their potential.  We need to create our own business and  receive not 60,000 drams, but 70,000, 100,000 or more. There are many  prospects in various fields, for example, in tourism. This year,  tourists in our country spent $ 120 million more than in the same  period last year. When engaged in income generating activities, one  should not be satisfied with little," he said.

Commenting on how it is possible, on the one hand, to reduce taxes  and on the other to pursue a social policy, Pashinyan stated that at  the moment, the work of the Armenian government provides an answer to  this question. "There was a huge shadow economy in Armenia. Thanks to  the fight against the shadow economy for the first half of 2019, we  were able to receive additional budget revenues of $ 120 million.   Thanks to this, we were also able to increase the salaries of our  military," the Prime Minister emphasized.   Pashinyan also noted that the government periodically reminds the  people that when shopping without cash registers, citizens cannot  count on raising their pensions. "At what expense should the pension  be raised?  The state treasury is that common wallet to which we all  contribute," he stressed.  The prime minister again noted that the  gap between the rich and the poor should be narrowed. "We believe  that poor people should get rich. And this is how we see the future  of Armenia. We must assist business, develop the economy, reduce the  agricultural component and develop industry. Moreover, the education  sector should be developed, since we want to turn Armenia into a  paradise, for talented people. We are sure that each person has his  own talent, and our task is to help him to reveal his talent. And if  not everyone can become rich, then everyone has the right to live  well.  Armenia is a country where everyone should have the right to  prosperity, and he will receive it through education, work, and  respect for the law. These are the three cornerstones that will  enable us to achieve our goal. I want to return to the topic of  workers without professional qualifications. We tell them: "if  suddenly, unfortunately, your child gets sick, this is our problem,  not yours." That is, we are changing the system of benefits so that  the child receives help, not the parent, so that he has the  opportunity to go and work. We bring to the people that the benefit  is not intended for them, therefore, they can work as much as they  need.  We give your child an allowance until he or she comes of age,  we take care of your child, his or her health, education, and we are  ready to provide him or her with medical care. So a person should  work and earn a decent life, "Pashinyan concluded.