SOCIAL SPENDING OF THE BUDGET WILL BE PROTECTED, SAYS PRIME-MINISTER TIGRAN SARGSIAN

Noyan Tapan
Apr 15, 2009

Yerevan, April 15, Noyan Tapan. Social problems will be of primary
importance for the Government of Armenia. Irrespectively of the
development scenario of Armenia’s economy, social spending of the state
budget will be protected. This was announced by the prime minister
of the country Tigran Sargsian in his opening speech at the "Impact
of the Global Economic Crisis on Armenia" conference on April 14.

According to him, anti-crisis measures of the Government of Armenia
include prevention of job destruction. Measures are also aimed to
address properly social allowances, as well as public and social
works to the most vulnerable part of the society and to ensure the
access of the neediest people to health and education services.

As T.Sargsian mentioned, the mining industry of Armenia has 6 000
employees.

Consultations with directors of mining enterprises revealed that
businessmen could use revenues and profits obtained before the crisis
in the conditions of high prices for metals on world markets to avoid
job destruction until the summer of 2009.

The first enterprise supported by the government in the fringes of
Anti-crisis measures was Kajaran-based Zangezur Copper and Molybdenum
Plant, which will direct the resources to obtaining new equipment. This
will enable the factory to increase the productivity and ensure with
work places20more than 200 satellite enterprises.

According to the prime-minister, the reduction of un-official private
transfers to Armenia affected the social situation of the country.

He attached importance to monitoring supported by the World Bank, which
would help to raise the efficiency of the system of social benefits.

According to T.Sargsian, 700 million AMD (about 1.87 million) will
be directed to implementation of public and social works in 2009. To
ensure the efficiency of those works the municipality heads are obliged
to submit proper projects.. Those works will include garbage disposal,
told the prime-minister.

As the prime minister informed, the issue of enabling needy students
to get unpaid education is currently on agenda of the ministerial
committee.

According to UN Permanent Representative to Armenia Consuelo
Vidal, Armenian offices of UN will support to the government
to find solutions, helping to unite the efforts of all
stakeholders: international organizations, private sector and civil
society. Moreover, UN Armenia’s office currently modifies its projects
to match them with the needs of people suffered from the crisis most
of all.