Residents of Armenia are ready to financially support families of perished militaries

Armenian residents support the need to help the families of perished servicemen, despite the criticism of the law "on 1000 drams", a poll conducted in the streets of Yerevan has shown. According to political analysts, the negative perception of the law prescribing monthly deductions from salaries of Armenian citizens for supporting servicemen is based on people's distrust to the authorities.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the above law, prescribing monthly deductions from the salary of each working citizen of Armenia into the fund, from which payments will be made to families of perished militaries and soldiers, who have become invalids, was adopted on December 14 and caused controversy in the Parliament.

Residents of Armenia are ready to support families of perished soldiers, but consider more reasonable to bind the sum of the deduction to the received salary, the polling of residents of Yerevan, made by the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, has shown.

1000 drams per month is a small amount, and each worker may pay it for a good cause, said Lusine Pogosyan, a math teacher.

However, Ovsep Shaginyan, a manager, has spoken against this form of fundraising, although noting that 1000 drams also make a small percentage of his salary.

"Every month we pay a tax, part of which goes for the needs of the army (the income tax is meant, – note of the "Caucasian Knot"). Why do I have to pay twice?" he asked.

Varuzhan Avetikyan, the head of the Legal Department of the Central Bank of Armenia, has noted that the lawmakers had rejected the idea of binding the tax to the salary in order to ensure the transparency of and control over the fund.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.