Opposition MP criticizes government over broken promises, rising poverty

During the final parliamentary debate on Armenia’s 2024 state budget execution on Thursday, opposition lawmaker Tadevos Avetisyan criticized the authorities for failing to deliver on their election promises, citing official statistics on poverty, debt and economic performance.

Avetisyan, who represents the Hayastan faction, noted that poverty has slightly increased from 23.5% in 2018 to 23.7% in 2023, while extreme poverty edged up from 1% to 1.1%. He pointed to a decline in social support, stating that the number of families receiving benefits dropped by 11% (over 7,200 families).

Referring to economic growth figures, the MP contrasted a 7.5% GDP growth in 2017 with a 5.4% average between 2018 and 2024, arguing the government has failed to meet its targets.

“Under the current government, pensioners’ quality of life has worsened by at least 5.5% and that of low-income families by 21%,” Avetisyan said.

The deputy also raised concerns over Armenia’s rising debt, which he claimed has nearly doubled –up by $7 billion – and highlighted a significant drop in foreign direct investment, reporting a net outflow of $115 million.

Avetisyan criticized the lack of structural economic reforms and noted shifts in foreign trade, with trade with Russia rising 57% (to 41.1% of total trade), while trade with the EU dropped by 12%.