Authorities Fail to Keep Their Promises on Proportional Community Development, NGO Head Says

Despite repeated promises by Armenian authorities of proportional community development in the country, all communities, except for Yerevan, are in a catastrophic situation, Menua Brutyan, President of “Lori Citizens' Union” NGO told Epress.am. The speaker based his assertion on Armenia's 2016 draft budget bill which is currently being reviewed by the National Assembly. 

“The Government continues to allocate most of the resources to Yerevan, which is understandable since officials mainly reside in Yerevan and run their businesses there. The situation of the rest of the communities, on the other hand, is getting worse day by day. We should oppose the draft budget bill; the allocation of 2,5 billion drams (about $5,2 million) for official vehicles is particularly absurd when the Government still owes communities for the 2015 budget,” Brutyan said.

The thing is, he added, that Armenia increased its minimum wage in 2015 twice – from AMD 45 thousand ($93) to 50 thousand ($103), and then to 55 thousand ($113). Meanwhile, as stated by Brutyan, community budgets were drawn up taking into account the minimum monthly wage of 45 thousand drams. The communities were not provided with resources for the additional budgetary costs and had to make the payments at their own expense. 

“The communities have no more money for their own needs. Only in Vanadzor there are 84 tower blocks in disrepair. Our appeals to the Government get rejected. There are bridges that need to be repaired; there is no lighting. 19 million euros were allocated for street lighting systems modernization in Yerevan. That's absurd, considering that there is absolutely no night lighting in many other communities. This is how decentralization and proportional community development policy is carried out in our country,” Brutyan stressed.