Comments on: Western Donors Upbeat on Armenia’s Economic Growth http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2005/07/30/western-donors-upbeat-on-armenias-economic-growth/ Journalism and Photography from Armenia and the Surrounding Region Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:16:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1-alpha by: Garo http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2005/07/30/western-donors-upbeat-on-armenias-economic-growth/#comment-46 Mon, 01 Aug 2005 06:39:26 +0100 http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2005/07/30/western-donors-upbeat-on-armenias-economic-growth/#comment-46 The other day I happened to watch on TV a poll of random people on the street (mostly in Central Yerevan). The overwhelming majority of the people said that there has not been any improvement in their socioeconomic conditions--people say they live either OK or bad. They say the main problems that affect society at large are the lack of jobs and low salaries/pensions. So I don't know what these reports you mentioned reflect. It seems that people are still dissatisfied, and they have a right to be. Salaries have not changed in some time--despite a drastic increase in prices for goods and services people still make the same as they did say three years ago, when the exchange rate was about 580 to one dollar. Salaries still range from $50-200 per month, depending on the type of work, which is totally unacceptable. We know that the construction boom does not reflect the general situation as a whole. And because of the Armenian competitive nature, I would argue that many people cannot really afford keeping cars, that they are driving fancy or not so fancy European cars as a way to show off--I saw the same thing happening in the Boston community. Anyway, because of the "shadow economy" we will never fully understand where money earned by the oligarcy is coming from and going to. The other day I happened to watch on TV a poll of random people on the street (mostly in Central Yerevan). The overwhelming majority of the people said that there has not been any improvement in their socioeconomic conditions–people say they live either OK or bad. They say the main problems that affect society at large are the lack of jobs and low salaries/pensions. So I don’t know what these reports you mentioned reflect. It seems that people are still dissatisfied, and they have a right to be. Salaries have not changed in some time–despite a drastic increase in prices for goods and services people still make the same as they did say three years ago, when the exchange rate was about 580 to one dollar. Salaries still range from $50-200 per month, depending on the type of work, which is totally unacceptable.

We know that the construction boom does not reflect the general situation as a whole. And because of the Armenian competitive nature, I would argue that many people cannot really afford keeping cars, that they are driving fancy or not so fancy European cars as a way to show off–I saw the same thing happening in the Boston community. Anyway, because of the “shadow economy” we will never fully understand where money earned by the oligarcy is coming from and going to.

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