30% RISE IN MINIMAL SALARY NOT EQUIVALENT TO PRICE HIKE – ARMEN MARTIROSYAN
17:40 ~U 06.06.13
Heritage party deputy leader Armen Martirosyan, who came up with
the initiative to raise the minimal salary, said the decision of
the government to raise it by 30% is not equivalent to the already
grown prices.
“For the first time I came up with the proposal in 2007 when the
minimal salary was 20,000 or 25,000 drams which was equivalent to
the minimal consumption basket. If previously the physical volume of
minimal consumption basket and minimal salary made 15-20 thousand
drams, now I cannot say clearly how much the prices for these
products will grow but the prices for products of first necessity
will significantly grow,” he said.
Armen Martirosyan noted that currently the minimal consumption basket
in Armenia makes 70-80 thousand drams, against 40-50 thousand of
that time, which means the difference of the basket and salary will
be bigger.
Today the government has approved the changes to be made in the law on
Minimal salary which intends rise in minimal salary from July 1. The
minimal salary will become 45,000 instead of current 35,000.
Previously the government was refusing the legislative initiatives on
raising salaries, grounding it with lack of additional financial means.
Asked where from the government found additional means now, Martirosyan
said, “It is so simple. In parallel with the raise of prices
for products the physical volume of taxes also raises. Of course,
taxes-GDP correlation does not grow but the tax part grows again.”
Armenian News – Tert.am