Migration increases reduction of volumes of Armenia’s imports - economist
YEREVAN, September 24. /ARKA/. Emigration increases the reduction of volumes of Armenia’s imports, Tatul Manaseryan, an economist and the head of Alternative Research Center, said at a news conference on Wednesday.
He pointed out that there are developments in Armenia’s economy which contradict each other.
“Foreign trade has shrunk considerably, and remarkable is that imports contracted more than exports,” he said. “Mining industry products dominate the export.”
Manaseryan explained decline in imports by emigration because the number of consumers has reduced and the basic subsistence has become less available to certain categories of the population.
“It would be better to have the import reduced by import substitution policy, not migration,” he said.
It the same time, the economist pointed out some progress, particularly in agriculture.
“The figures of the first half of this year give ground for optimism,” he said. “Weather is good, but would be wrong to connect growth in the sector only with that.”
The agriculture sector, he said, doubled its exports to Russia. Agricultural products made up more than 80% of the country’s total export.
“This is a pleasant word, but we are not delighted with dependence on one market, and I, as an economist, find this unacceptable,” Manaseryan said. “We should work to build up our exports for other markets by improving products' quality.”
He stressed the importance of European market, which is dominated by Turkish goods.
«We have considerable achievements in wine industry,» he said. «Armenia has a huge potential for entering outside markets not only with those varieties of wine which are intended for middle-class consumers. I mean a premium class wine, which is a real achievement.»
The National Statistical Service of Armenia says the country's foreign trade turnover shrank 19.5% in Jan-Aug 2015, compared with the same period a year before, to $3 041.5 million.
According to the statistical reports, exports totaled $967.4 million in Jan-Aug 2015 showing 0.5% year-on-year growth, while imports shrank 26.3% to $2 074.1 million. ---0----
He pointed out that there are developments in Armenia’s economy which contradict each other.
“Foreign trade has shrunk considerably, and remarkable is that imports contracted more than exports,” he said. “Mining industry products dominate the export.”
Manaseryan explained decline in imports by emigration because the number of consumers has reduced and the basic subsistence has become less available to certain categories of the population.
“It would be better to have the import reduced by import substitution policy, not migration,” he said.
It the same time, the economist pointed out some progress, particularly in agriculture.
“The figures of the first half of this year give ground for optimism,” he said. “Weather is good, but would be wrong to connect growth in the sector only with that.”
The agriculture sector, he said, doubled its exports to Russia. Agricultural products made up more than 80% of the country’s total export.
“This is a pleasant word, but we are not delighted with dependence on one market, and I, as an economist, find this unacceptable,” Manaseryan said. “We should work to build up our exports for other markets by improving products' quality.”
He stressed the importance of European market, which is dominated by Turkish goods.
«We have considerable achievements in wine industry,» he said. «Armenia has a huge potential for entering outside markets not only with those varieties of wine which are intended for middle-class consumers. I mean a premium class wine, which is a real achievement.»
The National Statistical Service of Armenia says the country's foreign trade turnover shrank 19.5% in Jan-Aug 2015, compared with the same period a year before, to $3 041.5 million.
According to the statistical reports, exports totaled $967.4 million in Jan-Aug 2015 showing 0.5% year-on-year growth, while imports shrank 26.3% to $2 074.1 million. ---0----