COMMUNITIES WILL PASS TO SELF-FINANCING ACTIVITY

NKR Government Information and Public Relations Department
April 01, 2009

Today, the regular outgoing session of the NKR Government chaired by
the Prime Minister Ara Haroutyunyan has taken place in the regional
administrative centre of Martouni.

The Executive listened to the Martouni regional administration head’s
account on the activity of 2008 and the general socio-economic state
of the region.

According to the announced data, in 2008 the volume of capital
investments in the region amounted 2546.8 mln drams, which was directed
to the implementation of construction and reconstruction works, water
supply, road construction, gasification and other activities. This
index exceeds that of 2007 by more than 875 mln drams. Dozens of
new units came into operation in the region, however, as Valeri
Khachatryan, head of Martouni regional administration noted, at present
a number of problems are in need of urgent settlement, among them the
replacement of the interior and exterior water systems of Martouni,
the villages of Taghavard and Sargsashen, asphalting the highways of
regional and republican significance, gas supply of the villages of
Kert and Karahunj, construction of a new hospital building of the
regional administrative centre. The construction activities of the
mentioned units are anticipated to be completed within one-two months.

During the previous m onths, though slowly, however population upsurge
was recorded. Major part of the population is engaged in agriculture,
the results of which, on the whole, were positive in 2008, but still
far from being satisfactory. Last year 190158 centners of grain was
gathered, the average crop yield formed 21.7 centners. In comparison
with the previous year the lands under cultivation were reduced by
6318 hectares, in spite of this, however, the gross output increased by
about 39650 centners mainly due to the favourable weather conditions.

The reporter noted that the region’s mountainous communities, where
the available land is not rationally used, are in an unfavourable
state. The arable lands and privatized territories are often turned
into hayfields and pastures. This year only 60 percent of the
privatized lands have been sown.

Works aimed at making the lands irrigable are carried out. During the
forthcoming years about 2000 hectares of arable lands will be irrigated
to necessary volumes. In the accounting year steps aimed at paying
off the existent overdue credits were taken. Though in 2008 a greater
amount was repaid than in 2007, many debtors of the region still have
considerable debts, which, on the total, form more than AMD 151 mln.

Last year positive changes were recorded in social, healthcare,
educational, communicational and other spheres of Martouni region. In
parallel with separate achievements some t roublesome facts concerning
the spheres of education and culture were noted.

The reporter particularly touched upon the fact that the majority of
the region’s culture centres are almost inoperative.

Speaking about the overall socio-economic state of Martouni Prime
Minister A.Haroutyunyan emphasized that inspite of the fact that
this zone suffered less from the war the state attention towards it
is great. In near future gasification of the dwelling areas will be
completed here, the roads Stepanakert-Nngi-Martouni and Martouni-Aghdam
will be restored. The region has a serious problem of water supply
and new mechanisms should be applied for its solution by means of the
state and community joint efforts,- the Prime Minister stated. The
state will focus its attention mainly on the creation of irrigation
systems and purposive steps in this direction have been already taken,
however, the managers’ noticeably indifferent attitude hinders in
rapidly achieving results in an important sphere, upon which the
further development of agriculture depends. Agricultural activities
must not continue developing this way,- the Prime Minister announced
and continued that community heads should destine their time mainly
for the activation and direction of the villagers’ agricultural
worksÂ". Our Republic will develop due to agriculture, people should
achieve serious results in this sphere in order to secure their
prosperity and help the country to overcome the e xisting and the
possible forthcoming financial and economic difficulties.

The head of the Government noted with regret that many rural
inhabitants refuse to engage in agricultural activities, an
inadmissible phenomenon which must be prevented. Prime Minister
A.Haroutyunyan underlined that in near future all the rural
communities should become self-financing ones. The Government cannot
provide unilateral support to the village, it must secure great and
qualitative product enriching the State Treasury with appropriate tax
payments from where the amounts will be directed to the development
of the Republic in the form of new programmes. "First of all we are
ourselves responsible for our prosperity,- A.Haroutyunyan stated and
added that much and qualitative work should be carried out to get
gross incomes". He warned the villagers about the state support to
be henceforth rendered only to working people.

At the outgoing session of the Government which was participated
by the executives of the regional administration, heads of regional
services and community heads, a number of questions were raised by the
participants. They mainly referred to the realization of agricultural
products, construction tenders, heating of educational centres,
re-registration of privatized lands and other issues. Corresponding
clarifications and tasks were given by the Prime Minister and
Government members.