STAFF OF RA MFA REDUCED BY 35 EMPLOYEES, FINANCING INCREASED BY 12.5%
Noyan Tapan
Oct 30, 2008
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 30, NOYAN TAPAN. By the 2009 draft state budget,
the financing of expenditures of the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs
will grow by 858 mln drams or 12.5% to 7.726 bln drams, the deputy
minister of finance Pavel Safarian announced at the October 30 joint
sitting of the National Assembly standing committees.
According to him, the programmed expenditures on the MFA managerial
staff will make 6.418 bln drams in 2009, growing by 11% or 630 mln
drams on 2008.
Expenditures on the MFA staff maintenance are envisaged to make 913.3
mln drams, which exceeds the 2008 index by 20.1%. In planning the
expenditures, it was taken into account that the ministry’s staff
was reduced by 35 employees as a result of structural changes in
connection with a change in the status of the MFA Agency of Relations
with the Diaspora and the MFA Department for Implementation of
Regional Programs. According to the deputy minister, the growth of
expenditures is conditioned by an increase of salaries. In particular,
it is envisaged increasing additional payments for diplomatic ranks
5.5fold in 2009. An additional payment was established for diplomats
with knowledge of a third foreign language for the first time.
Expenditures on maintenance of embassies and representative offices
are envisaged to make 5 bln 142 mln drams in 2009, which exceeds by
475 mln drams the 2008 index.