EcoLur
Environment holds a significant place in presidential candidate Raffi Hovhannisian’s election program. The environmental part of the program begins with “Natural world and natural resources of Armenia are its national wealth”. It says “…Each member of the society is the owner of the company developing natural resources. By the force of the law the transition of such companies to public share-holding companies should be encouraged…so as each citizen has an opportunity to obtain shares in such enterprises. This is also a moral task…”
Raffi Hovhanissian brings the example of colossal underpayments and naturally super profits in the field of soil management. “In 2010 Zangezour copper and molybdenum combine processed 16 million tons of ore and displayed approximately the same amount of wastes, at least, of 2-nd class hazard. In accordance with RA Law “On Amounts of Environmental Payments” about 384 billion AMD should be paid to the state budget…Starting from 2007 when RA Law “On Amounts of Environmental Payments” was adopted, ZCMC disposed 55 million tons of wastes, it should pay 1.3 billion AMD or 4 million USD, which hasn’t been carried out…”
Then the program lays down the principles and urgent measures, which are needed for the sustainable development of the country and running a long-term policy. For example, “…To form legitimate mechanisms, to make the introduction of environmental measures profitable for business entities. To establish a differentiated tax, investment and loan approach to enterprises, which protect the nature.”
Raffi Hovhannisian thinks it’s necessary to adopt a law on the effective management of natural resources, to remove legislative contradictions in environment, to make normative-legal requirement to protection and regulation of the problem stricter, as well as to set up an environmental police.
Photo from www.raffi4president.am web site
January 24, 2013 at 17:11