Aravot: Retired General Addresses Open Letter To President

ARAVOT: RETIRED GENERAL ADDRESSES OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT

tert.am
25.09.12

A retired general and a veteran of the Nagorno-Karabakh war, Artur
Alexanyan, has turned to the president with an open letter, addressing
the economic situation in Armenia.

There he particularly says:

“To be frank, this is not the country I used to dream about. As
your companion-in-arms, I declare openly that it is impossible to
have business loans and ensure normal profit in Armenia by legal
means, without winning over someone or returning money [the so-called
kickback]. It is in the order of things to have good connections in the
upper circles or give the kickback before thinking about a product,
which in turn is of a poor quality as a high-quality product would
not ensure any profit in the aftermath of all this. This is why it
is advantageous to a businessman to import everything from abroad
with high prices and long travel costs, giving a 10% kickback and
ensuring another 10% for himself. ”