We hear on different occasions that major businessmen or oligarchs of Armenia are the victims of the current system and they would love to work in a legal atmosphere if the central government did not force them to operate informally.
Such opinions are partly true. They are true because the oligarchs would really love to work in a legal field but they are held back by the circumstance that the “favorites” will keep away from that field and the opportunities will be unequal.
Otherwise, the oligarchy has accumulated so many billions and infrastructures that the legal field is not a threat to them. The oligarchy is a threat to itself in the sense of partial legalization.
The oligarchy has so much capital and infrastructures that one will need billions to be able to compete with them. Who will bring those billions to Armenia if not the oligarchy?
Consequently, the issue is not legalization of the activities of the oligarchy. This is only a formal solution which will not bring about any change. This step will just legitimize the oligarchic economic-political system, the effectiveness of which will remain the same.
The issue in Armenia is redistribution of positions and resources of the oligarchy. This redistribution is inevitable if the country is committed to change, establishment of an atmosphere of creativity.
The oligarchy has in its hands a large part of resources, and this share cannot be used effectively for the public and the state, especially with the small scales of the economy of Armenia.
To ensure the effectiveness of this share it is necessary to return it from the oligarchy to the small and midsize businesses in an anti-monopoly and anti-oligarchy policy. In other words, the anti-monopoly and anti-oligarchy policy should focus on the tough policy of decentralization of resources and then should prevent the creation of new monopolies and oligopolies.
Here is the axis of the issue and this is the reason why the oligarchic system, despite its huge advantage, does not want to operate in law. In fact, the political government prohibits this which is coalesced with the oligarchy. Perhaps, it does not allow but with the same concern that interests match here and they thus find a temporary solution.
Decentralization of resources is a vital need. The oligarchic system can protect its resources only in the legal field since this system stops being vital in terms of protection of its political and social interests.
Many people may view “decentralization” as infringement of the right to property.
But the larger part of the property of the oligarchy is already an infringement on others’ right to property, consequently it is not infringement but protection of this right.
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