On April 8, at the Congress Hotel, the “Armenia” Alliance presented the socio-economic section of its pre-election program ahead of the parliamentary elections.

The program was presented by National Assembly “Armenia” faction MP Artur Khachatryan and faction secretary Artsvik Minasyan.

“In the late 1990s, within just a few years, Armenia began to grow rapidly as a result of economic, industrial, and infrastructure changes. It grew so quickly that the World Bank called Armenia the ‘Caucasian Tiger,’” said Artur Khachatryan, noting that during those years the country recorded an average growth of 12% and, for the first time, experienced positive migration.

Referring to the years of Robert Kocharyan’s administration, Khachatryan stated: “We have already once brought the economy out of crisis; today, the economy is once again in crisis.”

He noted that Armenia’s current economic growth is largely based on services and retail trade, while exports are mainly driven by gold, diamonds, mining, brandy, and tobacco.

“Where is our industrial potential? Where is the high-tech industry praised by this government? The economic growth they show is a result of debt. In eight years, Armenia’s debt has doubled, reaching $15 billion,” the MP said, adding that this burden falls on everyone, including newborns, with an average of $5,000 debt per citizen.

He stated that starting June 8, the “Armenia” Alliance’s policies will focus on reviving industry, creating a high-tech economy, and building on competitive advantages.

Turning to agriculture, Khachatryan said: “Armenia needs a competitive and prosperous agricultural sector.”

He recalled that in 1998 conditions in villages were worse than in cities—collective farms had collapsed, and there was neither equipment nor seed reserves—but through proper policy, rural areas were able to recover.

“Now we have gone back 25 years. With a single stroke of a pen, the Ministry of Agriculture was dismantled. More than half of our arable land is not cultivated. And yet they proudly say we imported fourth-grade wheat from Kazakhstan. This cannot continue,” he emphasized.

According to him, the alliance’s policies will aim to increase agricultural profitability, ensure food security, and improve quality of life in rural areas. “You can’t walk in a village without boots. People must remain in villages and strengthen our borders,” he said.

He noted that land plots are currently too small, making cultivation expensive and inefficient.

“We will promote cooperation and land consolidation while preserving ownership rights,” Khachatryan explained, adding that the state will support farmers in acquiring high-quality seeds, saplings, and livestock. Since agriculture is knowledge-based, farmers will also receive advisory support.

The program includes up to 15 million AMD in preferential loans with zero interest, cheaper fuel and seeds, improved water resource management, and support for sales and exports. Strategic products will also be guaranteed favorable prices.

Khachatryan emphasized that the “Armenia” Alliance will restore the Ministry of Agriculture.

Another section of the program was presented by Artsvik Minasyan.

“The current difficult social situation is not only due to external factors or psychological conditions. It is also the result of deep social problems that this government has created and continues to reinforce. One of the causes is the clearly unequal distribution of income,” Minasyan said.

He noted that incomes of vulnerable groups are clearly lagging behind rising living costs.

“Not only are prices of essential food, medicine, and utilities rising sharply, but property taxes and public transport fares are also increasing. Hundreds of thousands of citizens are faced daily with difficult choices—whether to pay for heating or essential medication with their limited income,” he said.

Stating that eliminating social polarization is a priority, the opposition MP added: “The minimum wage will be aligned with the minimum living basket and will be indexed—meaning it will automatically increase each year at least in line with inflation, by law, not political will. The basic pension will increase by at least 50% and will also be indexed to inflation. During winter months, gas and electricity costs will be fully subsidized for socially vulnerable single pensioners, extremely poor families, and families with children.”

Minasyan added that electricity tariff policy will be revised, aiming to lower daytime rates.

“We will reduce property tax. The excessively high increase planned for 2026 will be canceled, and a luxury tax will be introduced—meaning the wealthy will pay more to ease the burden on low- and middle-income citizens. Social solidarity will be restored through fair income redistribution,” he said, adding that universal income declaration will also be abolished.

He noted that Armenian capital worldwide is estimated at around $400 billion, and through a proposed “Multi-purpose Fund,” attracting just 5% of it could significantly contribute to national development.

Addressing healthcare, Minasyan said that while the current insurance system has created issues for both doctors and patients, the alliance plans to improve it without dismantling it.

“We are here to further strengthen family protection. Under the ‘Family Growth Model,’ income tax will decrease by an additional 2% for each child after the second,” he said.

He added that years worked by taxi drivers and farmers will count toward employment experience, the penalty point system will be abolished, and the speed limit threshold for violations will be raised from 10 km/h to 15 km/h.

In closing, the faction secretary stated that the alliance is presenting only its minimum promises, and if given a mandate, it will do more.

Details in the video below: