2009 DRAFT STATE BUDGET ENVISAGES ALLOCATIONS OF 18.5 BILLION DRAMS TO SPHERE OF RECREATION, CULTURE AND RELIGION, WITHOUT EXPENDITURES ON CENTRAL STAFF OF STATE GOVERNMENT BODIES

Noyan Tapan
Oct 29, 2008

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 29, NOYAN TAPAN. By the 2009 draft state budget,
allocations to the sphere of recreation, culture and religion
(without the central staff of state government bodies) will make
18.5 bln drams against 15.4 bln drams in 2008 (20.7% growth). The
first deputy minister of finance Pavel Safarian said at the October
28 joint sitting of the National Assembly standing committees that
the expenditures on maintenance of the central staff of the sector of
culture were programmed by the same principles as in all the other
state departments. The absolute growth of programs’ financing made
2.2 bln drams as compared with 2008.

According to the RA minister of culture Hasmik Poghosian, it is
envisaged allocating 9.35 bln drams to the sector of culture, which
exceeds the 2008 index by 31.8%. The allocations will be mostly spent
on preservation of national heritage, including major repairs and
re-equipment of 13 museums, increasing the accessibility of library
services, and implementation of family library programs. Allocations
for libraries will amount to 1.9 bln drams against 1.5 bln drams in
2008, for museums – 1.9 bln drams against 1.4 bln drams in 2008,
and allocations for cultural houses, clubs and centers will make
about 1.06 bln drams against 964 mln drams in 2008.

Expenditures on sports and recreation are envisaged to make 1.6 bln
drams against 1.1 bln drams in 2008. P. Safarian said that these
allocations will be mainly used for prizes to winners of republican
and international competitions, as well as the implementation of new
programs and the organization of the 2009 Pan-Armenian Games.