“Aravot” says Armenians are not quite impressed with financial abuses revealed by the National Security Service (NSS). “People expect former ministers, parliament deputies, oligarchs and the like to end up behind bars,” comments the paper. It disagrees with this popular sentiment and urges the new government to take “unpopular but necessary steps.”
“Chorrord Ishkhanutyun” says the newly appointed members of the government have still not explained in detail what they are going to do. Instead, they are busy exposing abuses allegedly committed by their predecessors, says the paper. “This situation cannot last long,” it says. “Scenes are not enough. The people also need bread.”
“Haykakan Zhamanak” comments on a substantial increase in tax revenue promised on Thursday by Davit Ananian, the new head of the State Revenue Committee (SRC). “At first glance this is a pretentious statement,” writes the paper. “What happened in Armenia was a revolution and revolutions usually cause some shocks which initially have a negative impact on tax collection. But such a prospect is unlikely in Armenia because of the nature and essence of the revolution.” It argues that the recent dramatic events have not led to “economic shocks in the country.” “In these conditions, the new government has adopted a clear policy of not merging with business and put in place new rules of the game, especially for big business. This is a guarantee of a sizable reduction of the shadow economy in Armenia, which will mean a certain rise in tax receipts.”
“Zhoghovurd” reports that in a congratulatory letter to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev released on Thursday U.S. President Donald Trump spoke of an opportunity to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in the months ahead. “It is evident that the developments in Armenia have somewhat delayed the process of the Karabakh conflict resolution,” writes the paper. “But at the moment the top priority for Pashinian’s government is not so much the Karabakh issue as the conduct of fresh elections and completion of regime change in Armenia.” Trump’s statement is therefore “incomprehensible,” it says.
(Tigran Avetisian)
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