Wednesday, 7 December 2016
“Even though we all feel great pain, we need to take a new breath, a new mood to try to change the situation” - PM discussed Shirak Marz development prospects with community heads
Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan paid a working visit to Shirak Marz of Armenia. The Prime Minister’s visit started at Akhuryan community, which saw the construction of 104 apartments for earthquake-hit homeless families completed.
Karen Karapetyan familiarized with the living conditions, talked to the beneficiaries, offered his congratulations and noted that they will celebrate housewarming by yearend. One of the beneficiaries is the family of Ashot Shakhbazyan who was killed in the April war. They are going to have a three-room apartment by this yearend. Note that nearly AMD 800 million has been allocated for the construction of 3 unfinished buildings in Akhuryan community. In addition, the 826 million drams allocated to the Marz administration were used to provide 137 households with housing in Gyumri and Akhuryan (Gyumri -101, Akhuryan -36). Housing purchase certificates were made available to all beneficiaries.
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Leaving Akhuryan for the regional center of Gyumri, at 11:41 A.M sharp, the Prime Minister laid a wreath at the memorial for the victims of the 1988 earthquake in Holy Savior church in Gyumri, after which he attended the liturgy.
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Karen Karapetyan visited the Technology Center in Gyumri to get acquainted with the activities and development programs. The Prime Minister first attended the AYB school and Microsoft Innovation Center of Armenia-co-hosted Hour of Code event, then he met with the students of the Gyumri branch of Armenia’s National Polytechnic University to discuss the development of the IT industry, and issues related to the government’s plans for the future .
Karen Karapetyan said to have held regular meetings with industry representatives, business people, and the government now is looking forward to a comprehensive proposal on their part concerning qualitative changes in this area and the government’s support for the IT industry.
“We are eager to see a tangible growth in this field as the per capita share of income in the GDP, the average salary and, in general, the thinking and the world outlook is quite advanced in this area and can be contagious for the other sectors,” the Premier said, suggesting the students be more active and come up with proposals. The Head of Government took the opportunity to discuss with the students the prospects for tourism development in the region.
“We have come over here today - on December 7 - to pay tribute and, at the same time, hold workshops to show that though we all feel a great pain, since everyone has lost a family member, a relative, a friend and a fellow citizen, we must take a new breath, a new mood to try to change the situation,” Karen Karapetyan said.
The Prime Minister said that the first flight will be carried out by Pobeda carrier in the coming days and, given Gyumri’s tourism potential and attractiveness, suggested the students get involved in the efforts aimed at making the town more convenient for tourists.
“While functionaries and public officials see everything in a specific way, you are young and you may look a completely different way. Therefore, I suggest you set yourself a task how make your town a little more comfortable with this process involve businesses that receive both income and can make Gyumri ever more attractive. We expect arbitrary ideas of you, which also requires financial, but logical abilities,” the Prime Minister said, adding that he was looking forth to tide of fresh ideas, of which the most interesting and effective proposals might produce practical results. The Prime Minister next called at Tumo Center for Creative Technologies in Gyumri to get familiar with the ongoing activities and development programs.
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Then the Prime Minister discussed current problems and development prospects with Shirak Marz Governor Hovsep Simonyan and the heads of communities.
“What is your vision of Marz development; what we need to undertake in order to change the quality of life in Shirak region? All our steps and arrangements should be built around the following idea: everyone is bound by duty to improve his home and native town. All initiatives and ideas ought to be born here. We need to agree what the municipality is doing, what the provincial government is doing and, finally, what the government is doing,” Karen Karapetyan emphasized.
Marz Governor Hovsep Simonyan presented the socio-economic situation in the Marz, the achievements, problems and future plans. He said that currently the five-year development plan and the community development strategy is being drafted. According to the Governor, Shirak’s main task is to achieve success in the industry, but the volume of investments is not sufficient for the development of the local economy, as well as for creating new jobs. Shirak is a region with the highest poverty rate, with more than 45 percent of the population deemed to be vulnerable.
It was noted that Shirak Marz is an agricultural province. There are more than 28 thousand farms and family farms. Speaking about the achievements, Hovsep Simonyan said that this year for the first time in about 280 hectares were sown with buckwheat, buckwheat drive operation stage is reached 9000 tons annual production capacity of processing. A new production building of Lentex company was put into operation in Gyumri (220 new jobs). There are a number of companies establishing new enterprises and creating jobs.
There are also significant achievements in the IT sector, due to the effective functioning of the Gyumri Technology Center. As much important is the Kaps reservoir project in respect of which studies are currently underway.
The Governor also presented the situation in urban development, water supply. He gave details of the problems of local roads reconstruction and other areas. With reference to the issues raised in the Governor’s report, the Prime Minister gave instructions to the relevant ministries concerning education, healthcare, road construction, agriculture and noted that even though no expenditures is envisaged in the budget, they should discuss and propose options for solutions.
“We also need to understand whether the community budget planning is correct or not: whether there is a budget of growth or not. I will take note of such programs where we can participate in, subsidize, finance, co-finance, in order to catalyze the economy, because not all of our activities are aimed at generating jobs, creating added value. Therefore, our well-being will take time to come. That is why we stand with all those initiatives that will have a partner and have a multiplicative effect. Our current economic situation means that all the programs that you may sound today and subsequently send to the relevant ministries could be studied, approved and get feedback so that we may discuss this aspect. I am asking the community leaders to be careful in community budget planning. I think that the time will sooner or later come when cannot get the more assistance the poorer we are. We have to support each other in order to put the country on its feet, there is no other way. No one will build our country for us. Gyumri is to be built by its residents, even if they are a little bit under pressure, a little bit hungry. We must help them look boldly into the future. And for this very reason we shall look carefully at all the programs,” Prime Minister Karapetyan noted in his speech.
The Prime Minister said that the poverty rate of 45 percent is alarming in the region, and therefore, job creation a priority. “I am sure that business is the word I want to say, notwithstanding many may construe my words otherwise, namely that by saying business I am in favor of business interests. But there is no other option. Business is creator of jobs, business is the taxpayer, the one to defend the country and create the added value we hand out the soldier, teacher, doctor.”
The Prime Minister stressed that Gyumri boasts fantastic opportunities in terms of tourism development, and steps need to be taken in this directiom.
“We are asking businesses and young people to be active for an imminent large influx of passengers owing to the arrival of economy class airlines. In addition, certain steps have been taken as to visa facilitation and the use of foreign passports. We expect a great influx of foreign citizens in 2017. Therefore, at Gyumri airport, here you have to show maximum attention in order to attract the tourists, not let them go to Yerevan,” Karen Karapetyan said.
Referring to the proposal to move some government agencies and higher education institutions to Gyumri, the Prime Minister said to be supportive of the idea, and suggested seeing at the housing estate available in both the public and private sectors in order to avoid making additional costs associated with the construction of new facilities to this end.
Karen Karapetyan also asked about the State order in the health sector and getting a negative response regarding the fairness, stated in part, “By making unfair distribution in the health sector, we are oppressing competition and checking the growth. Therefore, you should discuss with the Minister of Healthcare which way to take in this matter. The control system will try to involve private managers who are in that business in order to try to set up a business. What we are doing is good enough, but the health sector is currently absorbing more money than it creates value added in the GDP formation.”
The Premier discussed with the local community leaders and the representatives of the regional administration by sectors the possibility of launching new enterprises, building slaughterhouses, increasing the coverage of cultivated areas, improving water supply and irrigation infrastructure, supporting small and medium businesses, low-interest lending, rehabilitation of Culture Houses, ensuring harmonious territorial development and other matters of topical interest.
Responding to the questions raised by the attendees, the Prime Minister suggested developing specific business projects for submission to the respective platforms of government agencies, noting that each project would be thoroughly studied and evaluated in accordance with the applicable standards.
