IN 2009 GOVERNMENT INTENDS TO PUT FORWARD LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVE ENVISAGING SINGLE APPROACH TO PAYMENT OF PUBLIC SERVANTS

Noyan Tapan

Nov 27, 2008

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 27, NOYAN TAPAN. At the November 27 special session,
the RA National Assembly adopted all the 11 bills and legislative
packages discussed the day before, including the government-submitted
package of bills (subjected to strong criticism), by which amendments
will be made to the Law on Salaries of Leading Employees of the
Legislative, Executive and Judicial Power in the RA and the Law on
Prosecutor’s Office.

At the end of a long debate, the keynote speaker, minister of labor
and social issues Arsen Hambartsumian assured the NA deputies that
the government proposal on establishing the salaries of the general
jurisdiction court judges and the prosecutor general (currently these
salaries are stipulated by the above mentioned laws) by a separate
article of the law on state budget will solve the problem temporarily,
enabling to raise the salaries of judges in 2009. The minister said
that in 2009 the government will submit the respective legislative
package to the NA within the framework of the single strategy on
payment of public servants.

Prior to the vote, the NA speaker Hovik Abrahamian announced that the
issue had been discussed with the prime minister the day before. The
government promised to present the concept in March-April of next year,
and after its adoption it is expected that "the government will raise
the salaries of civil servants and leading employees of government
bodies". It was additionally stipulated in the bill passed in the
first reading that the salaries of the chairman and members of the
Constitutional Court will make: in 2009 the salary of the CC chairman
will make 680 thousand drams instead of the current 340 thousand drams,
and that of a member of the CC will make 600 thousand drams instead
of 300 thousand drams. This changes will be in force from January 1
to December 31 of 2009.

The National Assembly passed in the second reading and completely
the bills on making amendments and additions to the following laws:
the Law on the Order of State Compensation for Losses of Revenues of
Community Budgets as a Result of Application of the RA Laws that Reduce
Revenues of Community Budgets, the Law on Payment of Civil Servants,
the Rules of Procedure of the NA, the Law on State Service in the
NA Staff, the Law on the Use of Cash Registers, the Law on Minimum
Montly Salary and the Law on Income Tax. By the last two bills,
starting from January 1, 2009, the minimum monthly salary and the
personal deduction from the gross income will make 30 thousand drams
(about 100 dollars) instead of current 25 thousand drams.

The parliament passed in the third reading and completely the bill
on general agricultural stock-taking, the bill on defence and the
bill on refugees and asylum.