says NA Speaker Artur Baghdasaryan
- Mr.Baghdasaryan, in your opinion, is the return of the deposits, at least now a real fact only for the beneficiaries and won’t it be interrupted by indefinite time after partial payments of several categories?
- At the session of the coalition council a final decision was adopted in connection with the return of the deposits, and the President’s press office spread an official message about that. Moreover, it has been distinctly pointed out that in the 2006 state draft budget 1bln drams will be envisaged for the deposit compensations and it will be also clearly recorded in RA law on Budget. The return of the budget is a continuous process that can last till 10-15 years. Anyway, today the deposits are returned in the same way in other countries of the world, where in the budget of each year a certain amount is envisaged for that compensation, and there is almost no country that has finished that process, though the payments started years ago. We’ve chosen the same road, giving priority to socially vulnerable people, who are involved in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, and are recognized as beneficiary families, people of several categories: lonely old people, citizens suffered from the earthquake, handicapped, big families, etc. That is people of such categories, who are included in the draft law of the NA four-day sittings agenda.
What refers to the continuity, then a political decision is made on that, and the started process of the deposit compensations in the budget of each year will be guaranteed by the state medium-term expenditure program to be included. Besides, everybody understands that the started process should be continued. On that continuity, in response to Viktor Dallakyan’s question in the National Assembly, Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan clearly said and literally re-confirmed during our talk yesterday, as there were different comments in the press. So, the agreements are clear, and simply it’s necessary to have the principles of the deposit compensations clearly fixed in the law on Budget.
- The Prime Minister said in his interview in the National Assembly that they’ll discuss in the budget of the next year in what amounts will be given the deposits, they will be continued or not, the Government will decide.
- The Prime Minister’s answer is recorded in the National Assembly, and I don’t want to go after words, and I repeat that in the presence of RA President a political agreement was reached, which is published. The matter of the return of the deposits will be solved not only in 2006, but it will be continued by the prescribed order of the state medium-term expenditure program, about which a relevant legislative affirmation will be carried out in the very law on Budget. The violation of the political agreement can’t but cause political consequences. So, I believe that everybody will be interested in retaining the agreement. Eventually, it refers to the fair requirement of the hundred thousands of people, and everybody should be concerned to have the deposits returned.
- But there isn’t a word in the draft law on the Budget sent to NA.
- At the moment, there isn’t, but in the result of the discussions, we’ll envisage it. The problem of the deposits is solved, I can’t help with anything those, who speculate it. From Now on Who Speaks Against the Return of the Deposits, Will Speak Against Himself/Herself.”
- Nevertheless, I can’t stop asking whether the choice of the moment of the return of the deposits isn’t conditioned by the Constitution referendum and it doesn’t mean to please the people.
- Neither OYe (Rule of Law) nor I began to speak about the return of the deposits. It’s a result of a consistent and long lasting struggle, which became possible due to everybody’s joint work. So, the return of the deposits has nothing to do with the Constitution referendum. And pleasing the people I consider an ungrateful work, as the people knows quite well, who’s who, who says what, and who does what.