Kazakhstan Presidential Advisor Analyzes Armenia's Economic Achievements

The Presidential Advisor of the Republic of Kazakhstan, economist Olzhas Khudaibergenov, has compared the work done by the governments of Kazakhstan and Armenia over the past one and a half years, highlighting the achievements of the Armenian government.

According to a report by Armenpress, Khudaibergenov wrote about this on his Facebook page. He noted, "During Nikol Pashinyan's 1.5 years in office, a new parliament has been formed with an average age of 40 among deputies. During this time, an anti-corruption commission has been established, led by the leader of the opposition. As a result of the fight against corruption and tax evasion, $115 million was returned to the state budget in 2019. This amount is seven times more than what was recovered in the previous 11 years. Currently, 346 cases are being investigated, and another 20,361 are under review. A new law has been passed in 1.5 years that allows the confiscation of an official's property if they cannot prove its legal origin," wrote the Kazakh economist.

He also presented the economic indicators of Armenia for 2019, noting that GDP grew by 8.2 percent and added that in their country, it is often stated that economic growth of over 8 percent is unattainable. "Exports increased by 9 percent, industrial output also rose by 9 percent, wages increased by 5.8 percent, state budget tax revenues grew by 43.6 percent, and the minimum wage increased by 20 percent. A total of 350 km of new roads have been constructed, and the number of tourists has grown by 15 percent to reach 1.9 million," stated Khudaibergenov.

He observed that Armenia's gold and foreign exchange reserves have reached a historic record, growing by 26 percent to $2.8 billion.

"In the next three years, 22 schools and eight colleges will undergo complete renovation. In Kazakhstan's scale, this corresponds to 130 schools and 50 colleges. Low-cost carriers 'Ryanair' and 'Wizzair' have launched operations in Armenia, making it possible to travel from Europe to Armenia for just $40 instead of the previous $200. The road police have implemented a system where each driver is given an annual score of nine points, which are deducted for every violation. Once the score reaches zero, the driver loses their license," Khudaibergenov wrote.

After presenting all this information, the economist went on to discuss the work of the Kazakh authorities. He specifically noted that in their country, over 100 working groups have been established during the last 1.5 years. "Why take any action or do any work if it is possible to simply hold discussions, create working groups, and create the illusion of fulfilling the directives of the president or prime minister? I hope that most of those who have created working groups this year will be relieved of their duties," concluded the Kazakh economist.