YEREVAN, JULY 20, ARMENPRESS. Chairman of the Armenian parliamentary standing committee on economic affairs Babken Tunyan says it’s obvious that this year the economic growth will be higher than what was initially predicted, however, he couldn’t say for sure whether there will be a double-digit growth or not. He emphasizes that the important is to ensure healthy economic growth.

“It’s difficult to say whether we will have a double-digit economic growth or not, as making predictions is a very hard work. But it’s already obvious that the economic growth will be higher than predicted”, Tunyan told ARMENPRESS.

He reminded that initially the government’s economic growth forecast was to be 3.2%, the Central Bank forecast 1.6% and the international organizations – 1-1.5%. However, recently all have revised their forecasts, and the government forecasts 6% growth now, the Central Bank – 4.6% and the international organizations will soon publish their forecasts.

The lawmaker reminded that 4.3% economic growth has been registered in January-May, expressing confidence that higher growth will be registered with the results of the first quarter.

He says there is no need to concentrate on this mechanical figure. “There could be 7%, but healthier, normal growth, rather than 12%. It’s better if we avoid numbers at one moment”, he said, adding that a healthy growth means when the economy grows not at the expense of one sector or one-two factors, but as much inclusive growth as possible is being ensured, and it relates to all spheres.

The MP says the fields such as construction, public services, hotel economies are recovering quite actively after last year’s deep decline. “What has been lost is being recovered this year, therefore the growth rates are higher. We have growth in all areas”, he said.

He also highlights the export growth, however notes that not everything is perfect here. “Mining industry has quite a big component in the economic growth, as well as in the export growth conditions by the international prices of copper. So if we remove these two components, the economic growth figure will not be so high. Therefore, we need to take into account the facts as they were and do so that the other fields also accelerate their growth”, the MP added.

Asked whether the tourism growth conditioned by the ongoing large flow of Iranians to Armenia would not be artificial, the lawmaker said no, reminding that there are clear indicators for calculating tourists, as person needs to cross the border, spend in a particular country for a certain time and then leave it. He says Iranians, who visit Armenia, spend 10 days and get vaccinated against COVID-19, are classical tourists. “It’s called a medical tourism. Now, when a tourist visits Armenia to spend some time here, be it two or three days, he visits to spend money here, use some services, gets vaccinated and then leaves. This is a very good and healthy process which shows that Armenia has very good preconditions to become a center of medical tourism”, Babken Tunyan said.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan