EXPERT: FOOD SUPPLY AND SOCIAL SECURITY URGENT ISSUES IN ARMENIA
ARKA
Aug 25, 2009
YEREVAN, August 24. /ARKA/. Food supply security of Armenia is one
of most urgent issues to be addressed by the government, Advisor to
Armenian Parliament Speaker Tatul Manaseryan said while commenting
the impact of the world economic crisis on Armenia.
About 5-6 international programs on food security are implemented or
are still under implementation in Armenia, Manaseryan said. But the
loan government funds are aimlessly spent due to lack of coordination,
he said.
For more efficient implementation coordinated cooperation needs to
be established between the government agencies, the ministries of
economy, health and agriculture in particular, Manaseryan said.
According to the economist, social security is another topical issue
in the country as labor market needs to be seriously reviewed and
professional capital lacks coordination.
Employment problem is the first among other numerous social risks in
Armenia, Manaseryan said.
"Human resource in Armenia is one of the most valuable and important,
yet little-studied resources," the expert said. A higher education
diploma hardly guarantees a job in the specialization area, Manaseryan
said.
"As a professor I deliver lectures to the unemployed in future,"
the expert said.
Manaseryan stressed the necessity of government-paid vacancies in the
country’s higher schools to avoid aimless use of government funds and
further unemployment. The statistical information about actual demand
for a particular field should be taken into account for this, he said.
According to the official information of the State Employment Service,
total number of people seeking jobs was 101,100 in Armenia as of August
as compared with 92,100 jobless in the same period of the year before.
The unemployed constituted 83.8% (84,700) of overall number of job
seekers, a 10.8% increase against the same period of last year and
11.8% increase as compared with the beginning of the year.