“Zhamanak” asserts that if, according to the government, the economy is growing while large businesses start paying less in taxes, then it means that the “shadow” is increasing. “Consequently, either the government is lying when it talks about growth or the untaxed part of business operations by large enterprises is growing.”
“Haykakan Zhamanak” argues that raising “efficiency” should become an inseparable part of Armenia’s agenda. “Because in the past 25 years we haven’t had an efficient government, an efficient opposition and, eventually, an efficient state. We’ve seen both a government and an opposition that promised and never delivered. And this is because “efficiency” has never been a major concern of either,” the opposition daily concludes.
“Hayots Ashkhar” writes: “The main mistake of critics of the proposed constitutional amendments is that they totally disregard historical ‘regularities’ and bring as arguments insignificant, secondary circumstances, as a result of which these arguments are subject to apparent devaluation.”
“Aravot” says that any public protest in Armenia that is not a “Maidan” [a parallel with Ukraine’s 2013-2014 protests that led to a change of government] is likely to proceed peacefully, but at the same time will pose no danger to the government. Reflecting on last month’s protests against electricity price hikes in Yerevan, the paper writes: “Russia first saw the possibility of a ‘Maidan’ and the use of water cannons against protesters on June 23 was the consequence of that vision, but then the government of Armenia, the protesters and commentators explained to our strategic ally that it did not even “smell like Maidan” and everything was transferred to a peaceful stage.”
(Naira Bulghadarian)