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| 18:22:34 | 08-06-2005 | Official |

FORCED TO ADOPT THE BUDGET EARLIER

Today Robert Kocharyan has had a working meeting with the Minister of
Finance and Economy Vardan Khachatryan.

The course of realization of Robert Kocharyan’s order to adopt the 2006
budget earlier than the present date has been discussed. It is conditioned
by the necessity to carry out the preliminary works of state purchases
better and more quickly. According to it, the preliminary draft budget will
be prepared in August, the discussions will take place in September, and in
October-November it will be represented in the National Assembly.

The President and the Minister have also spoken about the allotment of means
from the budget to the education, health and social fields. According to
them, in 2008 the wages of the teachers will be 70 000 drams, and the social
pensions will be 19 000. And starting from 2006 the hospital services will
be free.

Robert Kocharyan has also referred to the social problem of the military
servicemen assigning the Minister to envisage means for that purpose in
2006. In particular, in order to solve the housing problem of the families
of the dead soldiers more quickly, this year instead of 200-400 million
drams 1 billion 700 million drams will be envisaged.