“No Turning Back”: Tsarukyan Says He Knows How to Change Armenia’s Situation

The tradition of forcibly getting a share of a company's profits in Armenia must end. The Prosperous Armenia Party leader, oligarch Gagik Tsarukyan made the latter statement during an interview with Zham.am.

“From now on, no one in Armenia should be able to take advantage of their position when taking a share from this or that businessman. There must not be monopolies in Armenia. Even if our country is small, all products should be imported by 10 or 20 people, however much the market allows,” said Tsarukyan.

According to the oligarch, it is necessary to implement steps which will quickly generate the economy and change the country’s overall environment.

“I can pictures these changes very well and I can comfortably list them. For example, small businesses have to be free from taxes for a certain number of years. No one from the authorities has the right to enter and demand anything from a person’s private establishment that is run by hard earned sweat and keeps their home alive. For middle sized businesses, there must be exclusive opportunities created for them, so in a short time period, they can fix their situation, come out of crisis and progress. This would mean new workplaces and economic revitalization,” said Tsarukyan.

He stated that there is no turning back and that he going until the end, until Armenia “starts to breathe again.”

“I said during the October 24 rally, that some ask me; Tsarukyan, why are you doing this? Really, personally, why am I doing this? To assert myself, glory, to make money? Exactly what private problem am I solving? None. But I can’t be indifferent, when in front of my eyes Armenia is getting weaker, the people are losing hope, day to day people’s state of welfare is falling, small and medium sized businesses are literally being destroyed, and the country is standing in front of irreversible losses. I am not that person. Therefore, that fairy tale, of until where Tsarukyan will go, has already expired. I have no road to turn back to. I am going so far as to when Armenia’s situation changes. Until people’s issues start being solved, until the economy starts to return to normal, until Armenia begins to breathe again. And I am happy that in this matter I have a huge army of political partners and associates, as everyone saw during the enormous nationwide rally,” concluded Tsarukyan.