Monopolies aren’t Always Bad: Karen Karapetyan

At today’s Q&A session replying to NA MP Khachatur Kokobelyan’s question how he imagined solution of monopolies and shadow, RA PM Karen Karapetyan said,

“Does Armenia’s economy has a formula to be reproduced without fight against shadow? No. Should we attempt to do that? Yes. Will we succeed? We’ll see. Are we determined? Yes. There is no any other way. Otherwise, we can’t reproduce economy. Regarding monopolies, they aren’t always bad. How does monopoly generate? The market is small and in case of effective work one of the market actors may take a monopolist position. However, if he/she does it in a natural field, and not on account of administrative resources, it’s another thing.”

Kokobelyan added that his question doesn’t refer to natural monopolies, but of the artificial ones, even regarding essential commodities. He also asked what was the attitude of the PM regarding the new Tax Code, by which, according to him, business opportunities are being limited.

K.Karapetyan replied that he familiarized with the new Tax Code, it’s a complicated issue, and it doesn’t have solution at the moment.

Touching upon exploitation and new deal on Nairit the newly appointed PM replied that he’s not familiarized with the main criteria of the deal,

“We’ll thoroughly get acquainted with it. However, I’m really concerned when potential investors speak of Nairit, not having any anticipation of energy resources for the next 10-15 years. One day we should withdraw illusion and speak to the point. We have made the third or fourth attempt regarding Nairit, which costs dear both on budget and other branches. And another attempt of wasting money in something, which maybe doesn’t have future, is rather risky for the time being,” K.Karapetyan said.

By Razmik Martirosyan