Government Approves New Program

On May 19, Armenia’s Government led by Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan held a special session to discuss its new program. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Territorial Administration Armen Gevorgyan presented a report on the program:

“The Government has prepared a new program based on points expressed in the Government’s 2013 program, the national security strategy, the President’s and the Republican Party’s campaign program, as well as the ideas expressed in the programs of political factions of the National Assembly.

“The Government declares that its main target is the citizens of Armenia – that is, guaranteeing their safety and increasing their security and well-being. The government’s main objective is to help citizens create their future in their motherland. The homeland will become a safe haven; a country for every single Armenian where their own abilities and attained experience in different parts of the world can be expressed to their full potential.

“Only equal conditions and real competitiveness can ensure this. The Government will make sure that rules apply to all and for Armenia’s economy to be open both for local and foreign investment.

“In my opinion the program includes all the ideas and different approaches that were discussed during meetings between the Prime Minister and different NGOs and groups, especially those that support business.

“Several factors have been taken into account. For example, the fact that we have a time limit in carrying out this program, the importance of bringing together all these ideas and the present risks based on global economic development and specifically developments taking place in our region.

“Through the realizations of this program for the years 2014-2017, the Armenian Government aims at securing progressive economic growth compared to developing countries by increasing the country’s GDP by five percent, gradually increasing the minimum wage to 65,000 AMD and reducing poverty by ten percent,” Gevorgyan specifically states in his report.

At the end of the session, Prime Minister Abrahamyan said that the opinions expressed by the political factions of the National Assembly, ministries and state departments were taken into consideration while formulating the Government’s new program. According to the Prime Minister they have been incorporated into the document to their full extent.

“Of course reasonable suggestions were accepted; however those demanding great financial resources were not incorporated,” explained the Prime Minister.

The executive has approved the Government’s program, which will be presented to the National Assembly. The four-day session of the National Assembly, which commenced on May 19 will be discussing the Government’s new program.