The "Fact" daily writes:
According to official statistics, 2025 Compared to April last year, vegetables rose by 17.9% compared to April last year.
Moreover, the prices of vegetables and fruits have also risen compared to March this year. The ongoing inflation is worrying when we are especially true of food food products.
Economist Suren Persian emphasizes the basis of inflation, which calculates the Statistical Committee, as well as the Central Bank, takes the average increase in the average price of 425 products.
"In other words, when we talk about official statistics and inflation, we must keep in mind that 425 are the dynamics of fluctuations in the price of 425 products. Many people do not have any 425 products in one month, maybe they don't get acquired during the year, but the calculation is based on that world methodology, all countries calculate.
When we receive official statistics, in January-April, the prices of goods increased by only 2.7%, there is a fair rebellion among our citizens, as we pay more, "Persian told the fact.
Notes, this dissatisfaction is justified by the fact that people spend most of their income to purchase essential products, in particular, vegetables, fruits, etc. "When the prices of vegetables and fruits are high, for people, the feeling of this inflation is greater.
In the case of a society, where every fourth lives in poverty, vegetables, fruit, and food inflation is quite significant and painful. Our society regularly raises about it, but officials are silenced by these people with official figures that are not far from their lives.
Here I will remind you that we have quite significant inflation in the field of education. It is 7.8 percent, both in higher education, preschools, and basic education. Education is the tool that allows people to get out of poverty, to have a prosperous life. When education is in price, it becomes unavailable for many, especially for the poor.
Poverty gives birth to poverty when children do not receive enough quality education in the future, most likely, are also poor. By the way, this year, some inflation is expected to be in the field of education, as both preschools, schools, and universities are regularly reviewed.
This definitely affects the quality of life and their families. People give up everything to give their child to education. Returning to the subject of food, we must note that we have inflation in terms of products that we produce and produce sufficient amount of money. The vivid example of this is potatoes.
We can produce potatoes from the amount of food for our food security, but come and see that we have a fairly high inflation in April - 47 percent. We have high inflation in other directions: cabbage, 14.2, cauliflower, 23.6, green beans, 20.8 percent, apple - 16.4 percent. There is also inflation in the case of imported goods. Orange, 29.4, lemon, 22.5% and so on.
The prices have become more imported and produced. We need to get closer to the increase in imported goods with the logic that we have had a dram appreciating in the last year, and we should have a certain decrease in prices for imported goods.
Of course, we should have been studying the change in prices in the markets of world or neighboring countries, from which the goods are imported.
It is noteworthy that, for example, in the field of clothing, we have a decrease in prices, which is mainly related to online trading.
In the presence of different platforms, clothing became even more available to our citizens. Resellers have to lower or review them, otherwise they will not be able to compete with online stores.
Our common economic situation, prices dynamics are quite unpredictable, given the fact that a significant part of our products, especially about half of the food products, are imported. Prices have a significant impact not only exchange rate, but also transportation costs, plus prices in those countries, as well as security issues can arise and so on.
In addition, we have quite shortcomings to produce goods on the spot. For example, the high inflation of potatoes, cabbage, cauliflower is due to the fact that last year our villagers destroyed agricultural products with thousands of tons, they simply shed.
Last year prices dropped sharply. The villagers could not sell their product. In 2024, they refused their production, and in the first quarter of this year we have high inflation, as last year there was a sharp decline, demand decreased due to logistics, prices and other circumstances.
We need to pursue a long-term agricultural policy, to ensure long-term guaranteed demand to agriculture, which will allow them to provide stability in the market, not a year, little.
You will see, we will have potato overproduction next year. The villagers, seeing the high price of potatoes in the market, will start producing more potatoes, and we will fall sharply again. These variations must regulate the state by conveying the villagers with the right signals, when to grow and in what ways.
Unfortunately, this work is not enough, as a result of which we have such sharp fluctuations in the domestic market, "he said. The citizen is guided by his pocket and refrigerator.
It is no coincidence that many today try to work in more than one place to take care of their vital costs. But the money, to put it mildly, is not enough. On the other hand, there are people whose source of income is exclusively pension and benefits. Economic policy can further worsen the social situation of people.
"Economic and social policy pursued by the current government contributes to a sharp decline in people's income. A vivid example of this is a tax policy in small and medium businesses. The latter, deprived of his income, will fill the ranks of the poor or not.
When the current government pursues economic policy, it must take into account its social consequences, which, unfortunately, does not do it. The situation is even more exacerbated, especially this year it is obvious in the case of small and medium-sized businesses.
Their and taxes have been increased, and circulation has decreased, they can't compete with large ones. In addition, the "money" of Russian relocants has been reduced to the Armenian economy, which has also had an impact. In general, the state cannot solve its social problem only with social instruments, it should try to solve by economic instruments.
It must be solved by social instruments when economic instruments are not yet available to people, or there is a problem, "Suren Persian concludes.
Lusine Arakelyan
