THE BASKET OF GOODS IS AN INDEX OF LIVING STANDARD …

Press Service of the Government of NKR
02-05-2007 11:00:46 – KarabakhOpen

Though pension rates grew from year to year and allotments to social
sphere from the state budget are reflected in impressive figures,
nevertheless a pensioner, burdened with cares, can hardly notice
changes for the best in his status because of the parallel market
price growth. "This reality, naturally, can’t stay out of authorities’
sight and up today remains troubling and of paramount importance,"-
Vasili Atajanyan the Social Welfare Minister expressed his view point,
during the conversation calling things by their proper names.

In the Minister’s conviction it does not matter how impressive
the means of the state budget assigned to the sphere are, yet some
definite time is needed for the problem to be fully settled as "the
number of pensioners in the Republic is large" (it varies about 30-32
thousand persons). At the same time V.Atajanyan considers that in
case the tempo of the state budget as well as the tempo of social
development is preserved, then in 2-3 years preconditions for the
minimum basket of goods creating will be provided and the living
standards of pensioners and other privileged groups of population.

Some social assignments are increased by 25 %. The sum allocated from
the state budget to our Ministry, pension fund and the department
for migration, refugees and resettlement forms 6 milliard 200 million
drams, which makes up 15% of the Republic’s state budget.

In connection with the holidays the disabled veterans of Artsakh war
receive 10.000 drams instead of 7.000. Three times a year financial
aid is allocated to the families of participants of Patriotic war
perished soldiers.

Alongside with financial aid they also get other state assignments.

>>From the current year the inhabitants of the repopulated Shahoumian
and Kahsatagh regions are recompensed against the used electricity
(60 kwh per person monthly) and firewood (1.5 cubic meters per year).

In Shahoumian region the process is already in progress, but in
Kashatagh region it is a little bit delayed because of belated lists,
which is conditioned by the community’s remoteness and population size.

The Government has a special developed program, according to which in
"Artsakhbank" a purposeful deposit is opened i.e. a 700 $ deposit is
opened for the third child and for the 10 th and more children 3.000
$. For the families having 6 under age children the Government builds
a house and every year 25 such families celebrate house-warming.

By the Government resolution orphan children over 18 year of age are
rendered a one-room flat. Alongside with the changes for the better
the Minister considers it negative that for the birth of the third
and the following child one time grant is paid in Armenia but in
the NKR the previous size of the sum still remains unchangeable. Mr
Atajanyan expressed confidence that the cash benefit size will be
soon increased and the number of births in young families will grow.