NATIONAL ASSEMBLY PASSES IN FIRST READING PACKAGE OF AMENDMEMTS AND ADDITIONS TO LAW ON MINIMUM MONTHLY WAGE AND SEVERAL OTHER LAWS
Noyan Tapan
Nov 12, 2008
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 12, NOYAN TAPAN. On November 12 the RA National
Assembly, with 82 votes in favor and 7 abstentions, passed the
government-submitted package of bills, by which amendments and
additions are made to the Law on Minimum Monthly Wage, the Law on
Income Tax and the RA Code of Administrative Infractions. Based on
the package, the minimum monthly wage and the amount of personal
deduction from the gross income was established at 30 thousand drams
instead of the current 25 thousand drams.
It was mainly the members of "Heritage" faction who abstained from
voting: they stated yesterday that they would vote for the final
version of the bill if the government took into account their proposal
to establish the minimum monthly wage at 40 thousand drams.
The head of "ARF" faction Vahan Hovhannisian said on behalf of their
faction that unfortunately, after a long period of struggle and
demands, their proposal about a minimum wage of 40 thousand drams
was not accepted by the government, but to vote against would be
"illogical because at least a small step forward is being taken". The
NA vice speaker, member of the ARF party Hrayr Karapetian reminded
that about 30 NA deputies had submitted a legislative package that
also included the indicated proposal about minimum wage.
The parliament also passed in the first reading a bill envisaging
amendments and additions to the Law on Welfare Payments, as well as
a package of bills on environmental payments and tax privileges of
some companies in the water industry.