Prime Minister Reveals Formula for Identifying Non-Productive Individuals: Arpine Hovhannisyan

Arpine Hovhannisyan writes on her Facebook page: "According to Nikol Pashinyan, the Armenian statehood benefits at least 10,000 citizens of Armenia who are adversely affected.

As anticipated, during yesterday’s government Q&A session, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan not only failed to apologize to those citizens of Armenia whom members of his government labeled as non-productive individuals but also did not clarify what 'additional output’ means. Consequently, the questions remained unanswered regarding:

• What criteria will be used to evaluate 'additional output'?
• Is there any criteria that will allow us to determine whether the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Ministers, or Ministers are creating additional output or not?
• How will additional output in sectors such as defense and social protection be defined? What is the methodology?
• What will be the clear, predictable formula that, before dismissing a 'non-productive' lawyer or accountant, would allow officials to determine whether these individuals have ever produced results?

The Prime Minister's approach concerning lawyers and accountants was interesting from another perspective. It turns out that in this case, it is not the non-productive individuals who will be dismissed but rather those who are actually established professionals.

The Prime Minister's compassionate approach suggests that since these individuals are established professionals, it is better for them not to serve in the public sector but to find good jobs in the private sector, become wealthy, and be happy.

And since the Prime Minister had no answers to these questions—and I assume he never had—he provided his easiest response, which indicates that the discussion is not about non-productive individuals but rather completely non-productive individuals.

Moreover, it became evident that the extreme case is only the dismissal of ten thousand citizens, while, for instance, a reduction of 9,000 citizens is perceived as part of the ten thousand and is not alarming at all.

Yesterday's Q&A session was also notable because the Prime Minister revealed the formula for identifying non-productive individuals—an ideological foundation hidden within optimization.

Those labeled as 'non-productive' are individuals in any way associated with the previous administrations.

In the future, this will be the sole method for identifying civil servants subject to dismissal for being non-productive.

Furthermore, yesterday's manipulations by the Prime Minister, again seeking culprits from the Republican past, had a clear reason: he knew very well that he had officially agreed with the Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister and, on that basis, had issued directives to all public administration bodies to eliminate undesirable public servants by any means necessary.

Note: When you discuss the theme of family, friends, and acquaintances from the parliamentary podium, you should remember that summarizing the personnel policy of the last ten months can yield the main criteria for entering the public sector: the Prime Minister's relatives, those who walked the most, liked the most, believed most in revolutionary values, and those who authored the most abundant writings on the flourishing of Armenian statehood.

Those who insult others are included in this list.

Or will you deny that there are the nephews of MPs, brothers-in-law, and proposed deputies related to MPs, spouses of the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, heads of cadastre, friends of the wife of the President of the National Assembly, and relatives of the First Lady all present in all possible state structures?

Moreover, alongside non-productive individuals, it is also necessary to remember those who cause additional harm to Armenian statehood and society. Here it would be honest, as you said, to start with yourselves.

Additionally, before seeking inactive individuals through the concentration of all state resources, it should be remembered that every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

If you circulate insulting notes about thousands of public servants in an accessible system, you should also anticipate a backlash. And if you reject repressions so adamantly, why are you searching so eagerly for the inactive individual whose only job is to publish your notes? You leave no opportunity to emphasize how transparent and dialogue-ready your government is.

You do not ensure the transparency and publicity of discussions, which forces public servants to ensure the transparency of the process.

It is time to finally understand that you are not only the Prime Minister of revolutionaries; you are also the Prime Minister of 'anti-revolutionaries'. You must care for the empathy of every citizen of the Republic of Armenia.