The member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsutyun (ARFD) faction Lilit Galstian does not believe Serzh Sargsyan’s statement that the authorities want to build a society, in which the focus is on people and identification of their abilities. “No, I don’t believe because in the past four years we have heard numerous promises, which have no relation to our reality, from the highest political rostra of Armenia - the struggle against grabbing and oligopolies, fair competitive economy, transparent government, a social state and so on. In reality, we have 35% poverty, emigration, despair, and multimillion investments of Armenian businessmen in foreign markets. Alas, Armenia has long lived in two realities, and I don’t think that anyone, especially those present in this hall, does not see or understand the reality, but we continue to deceive each other and speak about the truths in lobbies or at festive tables,” she stated in her speech at the RA National Assembly. In her speech, Lilit Galstian in particular said: “In its 2008-2012 program the government undertook an obligation to the European Union to turn Armenia into a regional cultural center. In reality, in 2012, as it was in the previous years, culture is not a budgetary priority, with underfunding being one of the main problems of this sphere. The salary of cultural workers continues to be the lowest. The average salary of some 6,080 workers of the sphere is 57,000 drams, which is about half the average salary in the republic. Taking into account the fact that the minimum consumer basket is 65,000 drams, it is clear that the workers of this sphere face social injustice and cannot properly live by their own labor. According to a pre-election promise of the Armenian president, the average salary would make 122,000 drams in 2012. As early as 2008 the Government promised to develop a wage calculation agenda, which it has not done, explaining that it would disturb macroeconomic stability. But they don’t think about disturbance of social accord and the country’s stability and human resources, whereas it is a political and moral problem indeed because it is impossible to keep labor force and think about a loyal citizen or high quality work by paying 35,000 drams. And our cultural workers look for other masters in their own country, becoming propagandists for this or that oligarch in the run-up to an election. The 2012 budget envisages a 20% increase in spending on cultural services, while about $8 million will be provided for technical re-equipment of the National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre and the Aram Khachatrian Concert Hall. It is a “feast during a plague” decision, which is completely inadequate to the sphere’s priorities. Although the government has adopted a method of program financing and result assessment, in the 2012 fiscal year, as in the previous one, cultural institutions are financed in a non-program way. In fact, the authorized body of the sphere has adopted a policy that can be described as “give us money”, which makes it almost impossible to have a picture of qualitative and quantitative indices and anticipate strategic tasks of the cultural policy. The projects of restoration and reconstruction of historical and cultural monuments and the final results of these projects continuously cause problems and a necessity to redistribute financial resources. Although the annual medium-term program of the government envisages restoration of 25 cultural monuments, budget resources will be provided for restoration of half of them. And after all this, they continue speaking about tourism development. In essence, the 2012 budget does not solve the problems of culture because there is no perception and comprehension that culture is a component of the political system of values and that it is possible to solve strategic problems of a country only through implementation of a well-considered cultural policy. Science continues to be one of the underfunded spheres, although in its 2008-2012 program the government undertook an obligation to create an opportunity for scientists to pursue science and to sell products of scientific activities in domestic and international markets. However, basic financing of 7,498.4 million drams by the 2012 budget neither ensures fulfillment of these obligations nor reflects efficient management of science and any clear mechanisms and tools regarding the established priorities. The executive body planned to increase continuously state expenditures in line with reforms of the educational sphere. In 2012, expenditures on education were to make at least 3.5% of GDP. Yet, both the 2011 budget and the 2012 budget (by the way, expenditures declined by 0.7% compared with the 2011 approved budget of Armenia) do not meet the program obligations of the executive body and cultural expenditures will make about 2.78% of GDP instead of the promised 3.5%. The pre-election program of the Armenian president said that expenditures on culture would make 195 billion drams in 2012, whereas now 108 billion is envisaged. Budget allocations for the broadcast of radio and television programs and provision of publishing services will make 4,781.3 million drams this year, in essence, they will be provided to the Public Television and Radio Company. By the way, these allocations shall ensure the Armenian citizens’ right to receive political, economic, educational and cultural information. In actual fact, however, today the Public Television and Radio Company provides Armenian citizens – with budget allocations from their taxes – with low quality television series, biased information, and vulgar programs which do not help form worthy citizens of Armenia, but represent a political tool spreading a spiritual disaster and moral decline. We live in the reality of two truths, and the current authorities, with their philosophy and their system of political values are unable to build a society, in which the focus is on people and identification of their abilities”.

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