Hrazdan workers unpaid as factory closure fuels hardship, opposition figure says

An opposition figure in Armenia has warned that hundreds of people in the town of Hrazdan are facing severe financial hardship after losing their income following the closure of a local cement plant.

Narek Karapetyan, a board member of the council of the Strong Armenia party, said during a recent visit that around 450 workers have not received their wages and are now living on the edge of poverty. He described the figure as significant for a town of Hrazdan’s size.

The cement factory, located in the Kotayk Province regional center, ceased operations during the current government’s tenure, according to Karapetyan. He criticised the authorities for failing to attract investors or create conditions that would allow the plant to modernise and resume production.

He also claimed that poverty levels in Kotayk have increased in the years following Armenia’s 2018 political transition, while cement imports from Iran have risen over the same period.

Karapetyan further accused the government of prioritising borrowing and short-term infrastructure repairs over long-term economic development, arguing that it lacks an effective strategy to revive industry.

He added that similar conditions exist in the northern town of Alaverdi, and called for what he described as a stronger government capable of restoring Armenia’s industrial capacity.