Government Approves 22nd Anti-Crisis Program: Unemployed Citizens to Receive Lump-Sum Assistance at the Rate of the Minimum Wage

• 06.25.2020, 21:16
•  Armenia

A Cabinet meeting was held today, chaired by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Before proceeding to the agenda, the Cabinet members referred to the epidemiological situation in Armenia.

To begin with, the Premier noted that courtyards are the primary breeding ground for coronavirus infection. “We must pay special attention to courtyards, especially in the evening hours, and in this regard, representatives of state bodies and volunteers should do a great job. The task is to comply with the prescribed rules. We came to this conclusion following discussions held with experts, international organizations, and by studying other countries’ experience.

I want to appeal again to our compatriots: Dear compatriots, we must comply with anti-epidemic rules. If we fail to do so, our problems will go exacerbating in all directions. Of course, we should use administrative methods, but the most important thing here is the change in behavior. We do not seek to fine anyone; instead, we are trying not to fine anyone, provided that we all comply with anti-epidemic rules,” Nikol Pashinyan said.

The government approved a twenty-second action in a bid to mitigate the economic impact of the coronavirus and the assistance procedure. The goal is to assist those citizens of the Republic of Armenia facing welfare problems due to labor market bottlenecks. Beneficiaries are those natural persons who were in employment relationship with their employers for at least 85 calendar days between January 1 and March 30, 2020 on the basis of an employment contract or an individual legal act on employment, but were dismissed in the period between March 31 and June 1, 2020 and did not find another job during the same period. Support is provided at the rate of the minimum monthly wage.

In order to ensure the overhaul of roads of national importance, the government made redistribution in the 2020 state budget law and amended one its previous decrees. As a result, 1,732,805.2 thousand drams will be provided for repair and engineering oversight of the construction of the following M-3 highway section: Turkish border - Margara - Vanadzor - Tashir - Georgian border. 434,645.0 thousand drams shall be earmarked for similar activities on M-9, M-1 highway section: Talin - Karakert - Turkish border. In this connection, Prime Minister Pashinyan noted that capital expenditure is an important tool for dealing with the problem of unemployment.

The government decided to alienate by means of a tender the buildings and facilities extending on a total area of 2018.12 square meters at Nork-Marash, 180 Nork Gardens, as well as the adjacent plot of land to a total area of 1.84871 ha. The above property is currently owned by the State Property Management Committee of the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure. Handed over to the State Property Management Committee in 2002; the property consists of buildings and a land plot of a medical center and is not actually exploited by any entity. The property will be alienated through a tender, the minimum tender price of the territory was set at 100% of the property value - 1 333 763 159 drams.

Highlighting the decision, the Prime Minister said: “In fact, this decision is an anti-crisis action, because the third direction refers to the privatization of state property with investment appeal. We anticipate that not only the property should be purchased, but a program should be presented so that we could make sure that the government-approved investment would be implemented there.”