“You Are Not Fulfilling Your Obligations, Yet You Are Making Demands on the State”: Kheroyan's Firm Response to Citizen

A citizen protesting in front of the government building approached Economy Minister Vahan Kheroyan to express his concerns regarding the difficulties in obtaining housing under mortgage conditions, asking him to relay his demands to the government.

“You can communicate my demands to the Cadastre Committee and the relevant authorities, so that I can buy an apartment for $3,000. I do not ask for charity from anyone and do not want to beg for borrowed money,” said the citizen.

In response, Vahan Kheroyan posed a question: whether the citizen works and pays taxes to the state. “Yes, I work in a workshop, but I do not pay taxes,” the protesting citizen replied.

Kheroyan responded, “So you are not fulfilling your obligations to the state, yet you come here making demands. Go, register a company, pay the taxes, and then you can come back.”

After the minister left, the citizen remarked, “What should I pay taxes for, so that they get bonuses? Now what, should I respond, ‘when you participate in the war, I will come and participate too’?”