Author: Kanayan Tamar

43,000 TEACHERS OF SECONDARY, SPECIAL AND VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS ELIGIBLE TO SOCIAL SECURITY PACKAGE NEXT YEAR

/ARKA/
NOVEMBER 17, 2011
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, November 17. / ARKA /. In 2012 some 43,000 teachers of
secondary, special and vocational schools will be eligible to a new
social security package, designed by the government for low-paid
public sector workers, Education and Science Minister Armen Ashotyan
said at a news conference today.

Under next year’s draft budget civil servants will be provided
with a social security package and will have an opportunity to avail
themselves of this package to pay interests on their mortgage, to cover
their medical expenses by means of insurance policies. They will also
be enabled to pay the tuition fees of their student family members. The
2012 draft budget has earmarked 18 billion drams to this end.

Ashotyan said the package will not cover the workers of educational
institutions, including state-run and private which offer paid
training.

The 2012 draft budget calls for 910 billion drams in revenues and
1.042.5 trillion drams in spending. The projected deficit is 132.5
billion drams. The amount of revenue is projected to increase by 6.8%
from this year’s budget (852.4 billion drams). The spending is expected
to grow by 41.5 billion drams.

Some 86.1% of the spending (897.8 billion drams) is projected as
current expenditure; 13.9% or 144.7 billion drams are projected as net
non-financial expenditure. Some 46.2% are projected as social spending
(education, health, social security). $1 – 384.9 drams).

ST. CROSS CHURCH OF THE AKHTAMAR ISLAND LIGHTLY DAMAGED FROM EARTHQUAKES

ARMENPRESS
NOVEMBER 17, 2011
YEREVAN

Architect responsible for the reconstruction of the St. Cross Church
of the Akhtamar Island Adnan Vural told the reporters that the church
has suffered light damages from the October 23 and November 9
earthquakes in Van.

Citing Turkish habereler.com Armenpress reports that Vural stated that
St. Cross church has not essentially suffered from the earthquakes.

Light cracks have appeared on dome easy to restore.

The parts of the church damaged as a result of previous earthquakes
were restored in 2005-2007 during the restoration works by the Turkish
Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

SOBER EXPLANATION: ARMENIAN PM ON RECENT SCANDALS, INCLUDING HIS ALLEGED “DRUNK” SPEECH VIDEO
By Gayane Abrahamyan

ArmeniaNow
17.11.11 | 14:54

Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan has dismissed allegations that he
was drunk while delivering a speech to a large audience at a recent
public event, insisting that the misperception was the result of
“sound problems”.

Talking to media while visiting the National Assembly on Wednesday,
the head of the Armenian government said the footage shown by Public
TV on which he was shown addressing an audience at Yerevan’s Sports
and Concert Complex while appearing tipsy, in fact was a matter of
technical illusion.

TV viewers and those who watched the video later online could hear
Sargsyan omitting endings in some of the words and pronouncing some
words in an odd manner. Besides, his half-open eyes and smiling all the
time led some to conclude he had been under the influence of alcohol.

“That was purely a technical problem. Unfortunately, I wasn’t drunk,”
Sargsyan rebuffed his critics in a joking manner.

“There was, indeed, a technical problem during that event, the stage
was right in front of our podium and the entire equipment, all the
microphones were at a distance. And when I began to speak, the echo
was so strong and it was hitting me back so that I simply couldn’t
follow what I was saying. And that, of course, was the omission of
our team,” explained Sargsyan, adding that he saw no “plot” against
him in the occurrence as alleged by some.

Earlier, Sargsyan’s November 10 speech became one of the most debated
subjects on the Armenian segment of online social networking sites.

The premier had earlier disproved the allegation through his Facebook
page, saying he had himself been “amused” by the video.

At the briefing the prime minister, who is a senior member of
President Serzh Sargsyan’s ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA),
also answered the question concerning other topical issues of recent
days – the alleged beating of a businesswoman by Syunik Governor Surik
Khachatryan, an RPA member. He condemned the violence especially by
a man against a woman, but added that “while the investigation is on,
it is more appropriate to refrain from evaluations.”

In commenting on the prospects of businessmen getting into the
parliament of the next convocation, Sargsyan stressed that “it is
the requirement of the Constitution and the law” that they must not
be there.

“I think a clear answer to this question was given by the president,
who has formulated the approaches of our party – we will realize this
norm enshrined in our Constitution step by step and should create
legal mechanisms for members of parliament not to engage in business,”
he said.

NO CEASEFIRE VIOLATION REGISTERED DURING THE OSCE MONITORING OF THE LINE OF CONTACT

armradio.am
17.11.2011 16:51

On November 17, in accordance with the earlier agreement with the
authorities of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, the OSCE Mission
held scheduled monitoring of the NKR and Azerbaijani armed forces’
contact-line near the NKR Martakert region’s Talish settlement.

>From the positions of the NKR Defense Army, the monitoring was
held by Coordinator of the OSCE Office Imre Palatinus (Hungary)
and Field Assistants of the Personal Representative of the OSCE
Chairman-in-Office Christo Christov (Bulgaria) and Marius Puodziunas
(Lithuania).

On the opposite side, the monitoring mission was led by Personal
Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk. The
monitoring group comprised Field Assistants of the Personal
Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office William Prior (Great
Britain) and Antal Herdich (Hungary).

The monitoring passed in accordance with the agreed schedule, and no
violation of the cease-fire regime was fixed.

>From the Karabakh party, the monitoring mission was accompanied by
representatives of the NKR Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense.

OLIGARCHS ‘ASK’ AND GET
JAMES HAKOBYAN

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 11:38:44 – 17/11/2011

One of the upcoming key concerns of Armenia is those additional
collections of 101 billion drams which is stipulated in the draft
budget for 2012. The government intends to boost revenues while the
National Assembly majority will naturally confirm the intention of
the government because it stems from the pre-election logic.

The civil society, experts and entrepreneurs, especially SMEs wonder
from who those 101 billion will be collected. The government assures
that it will not lie heavily on the shoulders of SMEs and will be
collected from major companies. However, business does not believe
these words because it knows, it has experienced what happens in
reality, beyond the oral or even written assurances of the government.

Nevertheless, in this situation the answer of the government is
interesting from another aspect. Whenever it is stated that additional
taxes will be collected from major businesses, two questions arise:
what major business means and what it means to collect taxes from
major businesses.

For instance, the State Revenue Committee publishes the list of 1000
major taxpayers or 300 major taxpayers. And if Armenia has so many
major businesses, isn’t it a surprise that the budget hardly amount
to 3 billion dollars?

Apparently, it is necessary to review the criteria defining a major
taxpayer because successful SMEs often fall under this category and
get caught in the so-called “terminological trap”, and are measured
equal to major businesses and unlike the latter they sustain losses.

And what does it mean that taxes will lie on the shoulders of the
major businesses? Generally, business is taxed, be it major, medium
or small. Simply every business must be taxed in the amount provided
by the law.

Consequently, the response of the government must be enforcement of
the legislative provisions, taxing much from major ones and taxing
little from small ones. And a primitive judgment but an essential
detail: ensuring reference to the law. The government must refer
to the law because when it says the major businesses will be taxed,
even if it supposes a legislative framework, the situation remains
blurred because the notion of major business is blurred too.

And in the case of reference to legislation responsibility becomes
a little more definite. The law provides for tax liabilities, and
additional 101 billion must be collected in the result of performance
of tax liabilities laid down in the law for all businesses.

After all, it is not a secret that being the owner of a major taxpayer
company, one high-ranking official or another downsized their companies
under their tax and shade tactics.

Consequently, the problem is not the size of business but the
imperative of elimination of arbitrary enforcement of the law because
even when the government begs the oligarchs to give some money rather
than tax them in accordance with the law, the oligarchs ask something
in return for the money and as a rule they get what they want.

50-STOREY MIXED-USE BUILDING TO BE BUILT NEXT TO MOSCOW CINEMA, LOCAL DAILY ASSERTS

epress.am
11.17.2011

According to local opposition newspaper Haykakan Jamanak (“Armenian
Times”), it’s quite likely that a 50-storey building will soon be
built adjacent to Moscow Cinema and Golden Tulip Hotel in Yerevan.

According to news the paper has received, this plan is secretly being
discussed in the corresponding departments at Yerevan City Hall and
several design agencies.

The building, according to the daily, will be called Persia Tower and
it will be a mixed-use development with several floors set aside for
commercial use; others, residential; and more than 10 floors to be
designated as a hotel.

The newspaper’s sources in city hall have stated that the Iranian
party in the deal has already taken specific steps in getting the
interest of the necessary officials. Yerevan’s chief architect Narek
Sargsyan, through his assistant, conveyed to Haykakan Jamanak that
he is familiar with this project, but he will not comment at this time.

The newspaper concludes that if the chief architect avoids providing
an honest assessment of this project, it means that the possibility
of allowing such a structure in the heart of Yerevan is not ruled out.

ZHOGHOVURD: GAS SUPPLY OF NO CONCERN TO ARMENIA?

Tert.am
17.11.11

A parliamentary task group formed to study the gas supply situation
in Armenia has not so far held a single meeting.

The group was formed on the initiative of the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation Dashnaktsutyun (ARF-D), with the consent of the ruling
Republican Party of Armenia (RPA).

Vardan Bostanjyan, head of the group and member of the Prosperous
Armenia Party, told the newspaper that the ARF-D that is responsible
for the situation.

However, he said, the ARF-D is not much concerned. Through the
newspaper, the ARF-D proposed that the parliamentary majority delegate
headship of the group to it.

HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK: SECURITY OFFICER ‘SCAPEGOAT’ FOR NOT REPORTING ‘COUP’

Tert.am
17.11.11

Chief of the Department for Constitutional Order and Terrorism Control,
Armenia’s National Security Service, Tigran Barseghyan was dismissed
and transferred to the reserve the other day.

According to the newspaper, the department is engaged in bugging and
collecting information on opposition political figures.

According to some information, Barseghyan was dismissed for not
reporting a “coup” to his superiors.

According to other reports, Barseghyan is just a “scapegoat”. He
informed Chief of the National Security Service Gorik Hakobyan, who,
however, did not report to President Serzh Sargsyan.

ARMENIA: SIRUSHO BACK ON EUROVISION STAGE!

ESCToday.com
Nov 15 2011

Yes its true Sirusho will be back on the Eurovision stage again! This
time she’ll be gracing the 2011 Junior Eurovision stage as a guest in
her hometown Yerevan. Sirusho is one of Armenia’s most sought after
and recognized artists. She had the honour of representing Armenia
at the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest Contest with the heart beating
and melodious Qele Qele, achieving Armenia’s best placing in Europe’s
favourite television show, scoring 4th.

Sirusho enjoys fame, name, glory and popularity in her homeland
Armenia and is among the most successful artists in Armenia today.

Eurovision fans are in for a treat, as Sirusho will be performing
as a special guest at the forthcoming Junior Eurovision Song Contest
scheduled to be held in Yerevan on the 3rd of December.

RUSSIAN BASE IN ARMENIA WILL BE INVOLVED, BUT WON’T INTERVENE IN CASE OF WAR: ANALYST

epress.am
11.16.2011 14:30

The Russian military base in Armenia, one way or another, will be
drawn into the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Russian
political analyst and professor of international law Oleg Kuznetsov
told Baku-based news agency Vesti.az.

“As they say in such cases in the world of theater, if a gun appears
on the stage in the first act then it must be fired in the following
act. That is, once a war breaks out, the Russian military in Armenia
will be involved in the war for two reasons: First, the Russian
military will be forced to protect its military assets from attempts
by Armenia to grab it. Second, in the event of a successful offensive
by Azerbaijan’s army, the Russian forces will be forced to protect
themselves from the Azerbaijanis,” he explained.

In addition, Kuznetsov pointed out that Azerbaijan supported Georgia
in military and technical terms in the August 2008 war. “And Moscow
remembers this quite well. But, nevertheless, I don’t think Russia
will move toward direct military intervention. In any case, nothing
threatens the security of the Russian citizens on the military base
in Gyumri,” he said.