Lawyer debates controversial pension law at CC
Opposition lawmaker Artsvik Minasyan today presented at the Constitutional Court the controversy of the disputed provisions of the Law on Mandatory Funded Pension System. He said a final opinion on the constitutionality of the disputed provisions would be very important in terms of ruling out the implementation of an anti-constitutional law in future. Mary Khachatryan, a lawmaker of Dem am (I am against) pressure group was the next to take the podium. She underlined that the definition of the mandatory pension component is an undue interference with the labor relations. “It violates employee’s constitutional right to dispose his salary the way he wants,” she said. “Besides, there is discrimination towards Armenians born after 1974 who are obliged to pay social security taxes equivalent to between 5 and 10 percent of their monthly wages, in addition to contributions made by their employers. Discrimination is also felt towards individuals with different incomes as employees whose monthly salary amounts to AMD 500 000 will have to pay 5 percent, with the state giving another 5 percent, while those who receive more than AMD 500 000, shall pay 10 percent, with the state paying only AMD 25 000. As you see employees are not given equal opportunities,” she stressed. The lawyer also cited an excerpt from the law which says that if the citizen goes abroad, he can receive the accumulated funds if he renounces his citizenship. “The law overtly encourages that people renounce their citizenship. This is unlawful and conflicts with the RA Constitution and a number of laws no one, but courts, has the right to deprive a citizen of his property.” In conclusion, Mary Khachatryan underlined that pension is a form of property.
