34 BILLION DRAMS ALLOCATED TO MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION UNDER 2010 DRAFT STATE BUDGET OF ARMENIA
Noyan Tapan
Nov 11, 2009
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 11, NOYAN TAPAN. Under the 2010 draft state budget
of Armenia, 34bn drams (about 894.6 thousand USD) has been allocated
to the RA Ministry of Transport and Communication, as compared to
38.8bn drams in 2009. Minister of Transport and Communication Gurgen
Sargsyan said at the November 11 press conference that work on the
rehabilitation of rural roads and the construction of highways will
be done with these resources and loans next year.
Roads of 63 km will be rehabilitated with 2bn drams under State
Road Rehabilitation project. 430m drams will be spent on repairs
of 8 bridges. Under the Asian Development Bank-financed Rural Road
Rehabilitation project, rural roads of 120 km will be put into
operation next year, with about 4bn drams to be spent for this
purpose. The World Bank-financed Lifeline Road Improvement Project
will continue next year: allocations for the reconstruction of rural
roads of a total of 100 km amount to 11.8bn drams. G. Sargsyan said
60m dollars will be spent on the first stage of the North-South
Highway’s construction.
The minister said 400m drams will be provided to the communication
sector: this sum will be allocated to the Republican Center of
Telecommunication state noncommercial organization for implementation
of such activities as monitoring of aired programs, provision of
advisory services to technical radio communication users, and control
of television broadcasting.
Speaking about the Iran-Armenia railway project, G. Sargsyan noted
that a program of the Asian Development Bank includes grants for a
feasibility study. "The remaining actions depend on it, that is, if
we do not receive some financing, there is no point in speaking about
the other steps. We have reached an agreement with the Iranian side
that in case of the program’s launching, they will provide 400 million
dollars for the railway’s construction in the territory of Armenia,"
he said. He told the reporters that in case of approval of the grant,
the first stage of work is likely to begin next year.