13:50,

YEREVAN, MARCH 30, ARMENPRESS. As part of a relief package aimed at eliminating the economic consequences of the coronavirus outbreak, the government of Armenia has announced it will provide direct financial assistance to employees of the hardest-hit areas.

Deputy PM Mher Grigoryan said the employees of hotels, restaurants, tourism sector, retail trade and services will receive assistance payments in the size of an average salary. He said this relief package does not cover retail trade of food, liquor, tobacco or medication.

Self-employed people will also receive the assistance payments.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan added: “It is very important to say that we are assisting the employees, the employees themselves will receive the money, not their employers”. He said the assistance will be formalized as benefits, in order not to charge taxes.

Barbershops and non-food retail trade is the target group of this assistance, with the number of beneficiaries exceeding 100,000. The program’s budget will exceed 10 billion drams.

Employees can apply for the assistance at www.online.ssa.am.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan