Armenians cannot get their wages; national debt rises
By Rashid Shirinov
The economic situation in Armenia has turned into a complete disaster, to put it lightly. While the economic chaos cannot get any worse than it already is, it appears that the people fail to get their wages.
For two years former employees of the glass-processing enterprise Glass World Company in Byureghavan can't obtain salary arrears of several months. The workers have repeatedly turned to the state for help and held rallies.
After holding a picket near the building of the Armenian government on September 29, the workers this time marched to the presidential palace, Epress.am reports.
The demonstrators demanded the authorities to oblige the management of the enterprise to pay wages. A former employee Hamlet Harutyunyan stated in an interview that they have appealed to all possible institutions, and even the court’s verdict was in their favor, but no one can force the plant management to pay off debts.
“I cannot understand – the President also can’t do this? It’s like the plant is managed by some almighty person and no one can force him to comply with the court's decision. We don't know what to do. Should we start to kill to survive?” he complained.
Harutyunyan added that the company owes 150,000-450,000 drams (about $317-951) to every employee.
“We appeal to all authorities. The situation have reached the point that we come here and they say "leave your number, we will call," Hamlet Harutyunyan added.
“When we protested, we were given some pennies, we were cheated and escorted out, but we demand the final repayment of the debt. We all are aged, no one hires us. We are unemployed since last August, there is no livelihood," said Samvel Diloyan.
Employees of the Presidential office came out to the protesters and tried to assure them that they will talk to the plant’s manager and Governor of Kotayk Province Karapet Ghuloyan to figure out the situation. However, the promise, did not give any hope to the protesting employees: they are confident that nothing will change, because they are constantly being given the same promise.
The Glass World Company created in 2004 on the basis of Arzni crystal factory, produced glass containers for mineral waters, soft drinks, etc. In 2014, the plant has been temporarily suspended for repair. From March 2015, the plant began to work again, but closed after some 5 months.
However, not only Armenian businesses have huge debts – that also applies to the country’s government itself.
By the end of 2016, the national debt of Armenia will get closer to the fatal point, Armenian Finance Minister Vardan Aramyan said at the government meeting on September 29.
The state debt of Armenia amounted to 2.545 trillion drams ($5.36 billion) as of the end of the first half of 2016. Noteworthy, the forecasted GDP in 2016 amounts to 5.443 trillion drams. Thus, by the end of the first half-year the national debt amounted to 46.7 percent of GDP.
Under the current law, the government debt should not exceed 60 percent of Armenian GDP. Two years ago the figure was only 43.7 percent.
---
Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov
Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz