YEREVAN. – The Government of Armenia on Wednesday posted—on the e-draft website—the drafts for the law on making amendments and addenda to the law on the structure and functioning of the government, and for the related laws, and whereby the number of ministries in the countries is planned to be reduced from seventeen down to twelve.

This package of bills proposes to cut down the number of public administration agencies in Armenia, and in order to increase the effectiveness of public administration system in the country.

In particular, the Ministries of Culture, Sport and Youth Affairs are planned to be joined to the Ministry of Education and Science, and the latter shall be renamed Ministry of Education, Science and Culture; the Ministry of Agriculture will be joined to the Ministry of Economic Development and Investments, and the latter will be renamed Ministry of Economy; the Ministry of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources will be joined to the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Development, and the latter will be renamed Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures; the Ministry of Transport, Communication and Information Technologies will be renamed Ministry of High Technology Industry; and the Ministry of Diaspora will be joined to the Prime Minister’s Staff where an institute of Chief Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs is planned to be established in lieu of this ministry.

Also, the said package of bills proposes to abolish the institute of First Deputy Prime Minister.