The Wealth of Armen Ghulyan, Living on Salary

According to the 'Zhoghovurd' newspaper, the President of the RA Urban Development Committee, Armen Ghulyan, was appointed to office on January 27, 2021. Before becoming the head of the Urban Development Committee, Ghulyan held various lucrative positions. He began his professional career in 1976 as a member of the local council of Ijevan District. A native of Ijevan, Ghulyan, who is an architect by profession, also served as the chief architect of Ijevan, followed by being the mayor of the same city, and then the governor of Tavush region.

Since 2014, he has been the Deputy Minister of Urban Development, and from 2018, he has served as the First Deputy Minister and later as the head of the committee. Despite his rich career, Ghulyan declared in 2022 that he owned a personal residential house inherited in 2013, along with a separate apartment in a multi-apartment building located in the Arabkir administrative district, which is registered under another person's ownership but utilized by him.

In 2019, the chairman purchased an unfinished building in downtown Yerevan for 21 million 475 thousand drams. Notably, Ghulyan did not declare any vehicles, which raises eyebrows. His bank account balances were recorded at 4 million 492 thousand drams and 19 thousand 930 drams, while cash assets amounted to 4 million 500 thousand drams and 21 thousand US dollars. His reported income solely comes from employment compensation, totaling 13 million 229 thousand drams, which is nearly 32 thousand US dollars.

It appears that more than half of his income—almost 8 million drams—is saved, and he declares cash amounting to 21 thousand US dollars. This situation poses a corruption risk, as there is no clear source for cash assets, with income derived solely from salary. In previous declarations, Ghulyan mentioned a pension of 52 thousand drams as a source of income, but his latest declaration makes no reference to a pension.

Ghulyan holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the RA Armed Forces, but his biography does not indicate any military service. He is known as Armenia’s longest-serving governor, having led the Tavush region from 1999 to 2014—a total of 15 years. During this period, residents of Tavush expressed dissatisfaction with his administration, particularly those in border villages under constant threat from enemy fire, citing that he had little knowledge of the situation in his region. Moreover, locals claim he was unaware of the roads leading to many villages.

It is also worth noting that the Urban Development Committee, led by Ghulyan, oversees and coordinates the construction sector in Armenia, which is on the verge of collapse. Analysts suggest that despite a significant increase in the level of housing construction in Armenia over the past five years, it is likely to lead to stagnation in the construction sector.