Gagik Khachatryan asked about his family-owned businesses and many other things (video)
Minister of Finance Gagik Khachatryan was not sweating when he met journalists on Monday. A short time later he took a handkerchief in his hands and did not put it down throughout the meeting. Journalists asked the minister about the businesses owned by his family members. “You had better ask the question to my family members who own the businesses you are speaking about,” Mr Khachatryan said. Answering the next question that concerned the violations detected in these businesses, the minister said, “You will go and verify everything on the spot. You know our businesses very well. You will be asking about them all through the 21st century. The criteria applied for all other businesses in the country, are also applied on them [businesses],” he said. After journalists informed the minister about the public mood hinting that the Finance Ministry cannot be headed by an oligarch, Mr Khachatryan got surprised and could not believe his ears. Then journalists reminded the minister that even WikiLeaks spoke about Khachatryan’s property. “I do not know about it. Will you show me, please, which diplomatic… Do you know?” said Khachatryan. The next question referred to shadow economy. It became clear that “underground” transactions and deals were made in spheres the minister has no connection with. “There was shadow in the mineral sector which we were able to detect and prevent.” Journalists also asked the minister whether he found it fair that small and medium-sized businesses, specifically shops and stores, are closing down in Armenia. “We are witnessing new economic reality, some will close down, others will open,” Mr Khachatryan said very calmly. He expressed readiness to discuss the situation with journalists and said fiscal discipline is to be encouraged and all economic entities who do not want to pay taxes, cannot continue to operate their shops. Gagik Khachatryan was accompanied by his bodyguards when he made his appearance in the National Assembly. And while the minister was participating in the discussion of the budget execution report, one of his bodyguards was waiting in the corridor with his jacket hanging from his pistol holster (pictured).
