Armenian MP urges increase in budget funding for army, security service

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
13 May 05

[Presenter] The budget financing of the defence and law-enforcement
agencies was fully implemented in 2004, the head of the commission on
defence, national security and interior issues, MP Mger Shakhgeldyan,
told journalists today after closed parliamentary hearings on the
implementation of the 2004 state budget regarding the law-enforcement
agencies.

Nevertheless, it is necessary to increase budget funding for the
defence and national security spheres in order to raise the wages of
employees, upgrade equipment and develop foreign relations. At the
same time, he pointed out that the state provides these spheres with
maximum funding.

We should note that in 2004 budget funding for the Armenian armed
forces amounted to 88m dollars, while 11m dollars were allocated for
the national security system. This year, it is planned to allocate
127m dollars for the defence sphere from the state budget, which is 35
per cent higher than in 2004. At the same time, it is planned to
allocate only 13m dollars for Armenia’s national security system.

[Shakhgeldyan] It would be good if we had more funding. There are
different spheres, including the wages of employees, upgrading of
equipment and internal and foreign relations. Of course, we should
think about all this. We know that the wages of employees are very low
in this sphere. The state should find and demand resources for solving
these tasks, and the state is doing everything possible in this
direction.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress