ARFD opposes state budget draft, supports amendments to tax packageNovember 18, 2011 - 13:59 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - ARF Dashnaktsutyun (ARFD) opposition party will vote against 2012 state budget draft, at the same time, supporting government- introduced amendments to tax package. “We’re fully opposed to the budget draft, as the latter fails to respond to current challenges, imposing conditions impossible for Armenia’s economy to meet,” ARFD member Artsvik Minasyan told journalists at National Assembly. To prove his point, the MP cited the government’s refusing the ARFD- advanced proposal to increase minimal salaries. “The government failed to prove our initiative and unfeasible. Armenia must not have salaries lower than the living wage,” Minasyan stressed. However, the government included many of ARFD suggestions in the tax package. Minasyan listed transition to progressive taxation and luxury taxes among other ARFD suggestions. Top stories Yerevan has dismissed Turkey’s demand to shut down the Armenian nuclear power plant as “inappropriate”. Armenia will loan 2.9 billion drams to Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh), according to a draft government decision. The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan has “strongly condemned” Armenia’s decision. Kerobyan has said that for the first time in the history of Armenia, the volume of foreign direct investments amounted to about $1 billion. Partner news | Concept to complete Yerevan Cascade discussed at city hall A conceptual proposal to complete the Cascade complex in downtown Yerevan has been presented by Jean-Michel Wilmotte. Pashinyan visits flood-hit region Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Saturday, June 8 visited the disaster area in the Lori province. €3.5 mln EU grant to support justice reforms in Armenia The European Union has paid €3.5 mln grant to Armenia within a €11mln program on Support to Justice Reforms. Yerevan reacts to Baku’s proposal to see Minsk Group abolition Alen Simonyan has declared that Armenia is taking steps aimed at concluding a peace treaty with Azerbaijan. |