PASHINYAN: ARE ARMENIAN PRESIDENT AND PRIME MINISTER WORTHY OF SALARY INCREASE?
10.23.2013 18:00 epress.am
Are high-ranking state officials in Armenia worthy of a wage increase?
Armenian National Congress MP Nikol Pashinyan asked this question to
Minister-Chief of Staff of the RA Government Vache Gabrielyan today
during discussion of a bill in the National Assembly on remuneration
of persons in public office.
The opposition MP quoted an excerpt from the draft law, which
proposes to increase the Armenian president’s salary by 203%; the
prime minister’s and parliamentary speaker’s salaries, by 218%; and
MPs, by 100%. Gabrielyan responded by saying that the people have to
decide whether officials deserve higher wages.
“It is my understanding that the will of the employer, [that is,] the
people, is expressed in the decisions of the National Assembly. The
matter will be decided in this hall,” said Gabrielyan.
“The problem is that the will of the people is not expressed in this
hall,” countered Pashinyan. According to him, evidence of this is
the decision adopted by parliament today to eliminate the 18,000 AMD
(about $45 USD, monthly and per person) unemployment benefits.
In discussing the matter of increasing state officials’ salaries,
Gabrielyan advised lawmakers not to forget that increasing wages can
eliminate the risk of corruption.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Disclaimer: This article was contributed and translated into English by Emil Lazarian. While we strive for quality, the views and accuracy of the content remain the responsibility of the contributor. Please verify all facts independently before reposting or citing.
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