Fact: Economic Activity Levels in Regions Have Not Increased. Balanced Development is More Than Just Asphalt Paving

Fact newspaper writes: Territorial balanced development is a modern challenge, as population and resource concentration in major cities is happening worldwide, resulting in uneven territorial development. Such disparities reflect differences in social and economic development levels that hinder economic growth and sustainable human development both in specific areas and across the entire country.

The issue of uneven territorial development is particularly concerning for Armenia. Economic development has primarily concentrated in Yerevan and the Ararat plain, leading to stark differences in living standards and human development indicators across regions.

These disparities have resulted in a decline in the aggregate potential of certain regions, giving rise to negative phenomena such as emigration and reduced economic activity. This situation has driven the Armenian government to adopt a comprehensive policy aimed at mitigating territorial development disparities.

It is no coincidence that the ruling party, the My Step Alliance, considered one of its main priorities in its electoral program to ensure balanced territorial development through the continuous improvement of value-generating infrastructures (such as roads, reservoirs, irrigation, drinking water, drainage, electricity networks, and internet access).

However, to assess how much of the My Step's objectives have materialized, one must examine the results of the policies implemented by the government. During this period, there has been no decentralization of resources from Yerevan to the regions, economic activity levels in the regions have not increased, and the almost sole visible achievement the government continues to promote—justifiably—is the paving of roads.

For more details, refer to today’s newspaper issue.