2017 will be a rehabilitation year: Vardan Aramyan

“Let the forthcoming year be a year of peace, achievements in our families, and not a single bullet could reach our soldiers,” Vardan Aramyan, RA Minister of Finance, told a press conference today summarizing the year.

According to him upon the results of 2016 real GDP will comprise 0.5%, instead of anticipated 2.2% growth.

“GDP environment is rather modest this year, we will conclude it in a lower price dimension. Branch developments correspond to the expectations, besides agriculture, where we anticipated positive growth, however, as a result of recent developments, we’ll have negative growth temp. Here it’s important that it’s connected not to economic development, but is an issue of other calculation.”

According to the Minister, index of this August, as compared to the previous year, comprised 9.6%, 20% decrease was recorded in September, and 30% decline in October, but it wasn’t an issue of accounting, and was conditioned by an economic factor, we should have edified rise in prices.

“For two years we had negative influence coming from the external world. This year is the deadline of tremors. 2017 will be a rehabilitation year, real growth is anticipated 3.2%,” V.Aramyan said adding that decrease in transfers has impacted on the purchasing capacity and consumption of the population, trade growth temp has always been negative.

However, in his words, the turning point is already visible, both consumption and import, which was formerly decreasing, currently recorded 2% growth. Prices for copper will also have a positive impact and will be higher next year.

“These are positive tendencies, I consider, we’ll enter 2017 with these positive tendencies,” the Minister said.

By Gayane Khachatryan