Approximately 80% of Armenia's state expenditures are mandatory expenses inherited from the past, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated at the "Armenian Democracy Forum" on July 1. According to him, the revenue part of the budget has significantly increased since 2018.
"Eighty percent, if not more, of our expenditures are current expenses, which are important expenses, such as pensions. We cannot just say: let's slightly reduce pensions this year and spend more on other purposes, including human rights. When discussing budget possibilities, we must always take this into account," emphasized the Prime Minister.
Pashinyan noted that attempts to carry out tax reforms often lead to disagreements. He stated that the government aims to ensure decent salaries for all workers, but this requires difficult choices, and international partners often come to the aid.
"Yes, we will certainly spend more on human rights, no doubt, but we have two options: we must decide where to cut to increase spending there, or how we can increase budget revenues, there is no other option," he concluded.
