Category: 2021

 10:25,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, ARMENPRESS. Armenia’s 2022 state budget draft envisages increasing the capital expenditures by 55%, they will comprise 347 billion drams, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the joint sessions of the Parliamentary standing committees, debating the budget draft.

“Today we are presenting the first budget of the government’s 5-year action plan which is called to create firm grounds for the implementation of the action plan. We forecast 7% economic growth for 2022, despite the fact that most of 2021 was marked by instable political and security environment, today our economy is surpassing all the growth forecasts made for 2021. On the other hand, the government has more hopes with the results of the year”, the PM said.

He informed that in September 2021 Armenia registered a record high number of paid jobs – a total of 651,141 paid jobs. Pashinyan stated that there hasn’t been such a higher figure in Armenia. This year’s figure is higher from the last year’s one by 3%.

The PM said that despite the 6.4% inflation this year, the gross wage fund increased by 15.3% in September compared to September 2020, and the salary per capita increased by 11.9% or 23,782 drams. The export grew by more than 20%. The construction volumes increased by 7% this year, the growth of services comprised over 5% as of September. “These factors make the target of the 7% economic growth realistic, especially when they have already started and I hope that several major investment programs will be successfully completed, the target of which is to make Armenia from a country exporting mine resources to a country having a long chain of strong metallurgy and metal processing as much as possible”, he said.

According to the draft, the 2022 budget revenues comprise 1 trillion 946 billion drams, which is higher by 17% compared to 2021 and by 25% compared to 2020. “The expenditures comprise 2 trillion 190 billion drams, which is higher by 10% compared to 2021 and by 16% compared to 2020. The capital expenditures for 2022 comprise 347 billion drams, which is higher by 55% compared to 2021 and by 53% compared to 2020”, Pashinyan said.

The PM said that the 2022 state budget is based on 3 priorities – improving the security system, developing infrastructures and upgrading education and science.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 10:26,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, ARMENPRESS. The Tatev-Aghvani strategic significance road will be fully put into operation by late November, Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Suren Papikyan said in a statement on social media.

“On October 24, together with Chief of Staff at the Prime Minister’s Office Arayik Harutyunyan and Governor of Syunik province Melikset Poghosyan, we visited the Tatev-Aghvani road section to get acquainted with the construction works. This strategic significance road is expected to be put into a full operation by the end of November”, Papikyan said.

He also informed that the construction of alternative roads in Syunik is also at an active stage, which will be ready in spring 2022, as a result of which the province will have a completely new system of road communication.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 10:46,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan believes that the unblocking of economic and transportation infrastructures in the region could qualitatively change the content and structure of Armenia’s economy.

During the debate of the 2022 state budget draft at the parliamentary standing committees, the PM said that not only the upgrading of defense capacities, but also the creation of a favorable external environment around Armenia, the consistent implementation of the agenda to open a peaceful development era for Armenia, Artsakh and the region, are important for the development of a security system. “We see this through overcoming the hostile atmosphere in our region, resuming the negotiation process for the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict in the format of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship and unblocking the regional economic and transportation infrastructures”, he said.

According to him this can further contribute to the development of infrastructures in Armenia and ensure a long-term inclusive economic growth, by creating equal conditions for the citizens of Armenia for engaging into an economic activity, significantly raising the economy’s attractiveness for domestic and foreign investors.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 10:55,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, ARMENPRESS. Armenia has set a task to conduct the border protection function every year more and more through the border guard troops. The country will consistently move on the path of creating a professional army, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the joint session of the parliamentary standing committees, dedicating to the debate of the 2022 state budget draft.

“The defense budget for 2022 is higher by 11% compared to that of 2021, comprising more than 345 billion drams. We will consistently move on the path of creating a professional army in Armenia, but we will do that with smooth, well-thought steps, by gradually raising the attractiveness of the military service, improving the image of an officer and officer service, and developing and improving Armenia’s military doctrine”, the PM said.

He stated that the protection of the country’s borders in this new security environment remains a key priority. “We have set a task to carry out the function of the protection of borders every year more and more through the border troops, having the vision of conducting only the border troops service in our borders in the future”, he said.

He emphasized that the withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenia’s territory, in particular the Sotk-Khoznavar section, as well as the launch of the border demarcation and delimitation between Armenia and Azerbaijan can create favorable conditions for solving this issue.

“As for the country’s defense strategy, we have already highlighted in the government’s action plan that Armenia, like any peaceful-loving state, will develop and reform the Armed Forces not into an aggression, but for defending itself from aggression. Armenia has no intention to capture territories”, the PM added.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 10:58,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, ARMENPRESS. The government plans to spend 32% more funds for infrastructure development in 2022 compared to 2021, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said during parliamentary joint committee debates on next year’s budget.

The spending on infrastructure development will thus reach more than 278 billion drams, he said.

“It is planned to rebuild and restore 500 kilometers of roads, to develop or build various-sized reservoirs which will significantly increase irrigation water supply volumes and quality,” PM Pashinyan said.

The volume of work for improving the quality of drinking water will grow 35%, reaching 11,5 billion drams. The tenders for the Sisian-Kajaran and Kajaran-Agarak sections of the North-South Highway will be launched with the aim of starting construction works of both parts in 2022, he said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 11:09,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, ARMENPRESS. 1184 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Armenia in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 296,552, the ministry of healthcare reports.

14,037 COVID-19 tests were conducted on October 24.

1221 patients have recovered in one day. The total number of recoveries has reached 261,952.

The death toll has risen to 6055 (42 death cases have been registered in the past one day).

The number of active cases is 27,284.

The number of people who have been infected with COVID-19 but died from other disease has reached 1261 (3 new such cases).

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 11:30,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government plans to increase science funding by 83%, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the 2022 budget’s debates at a parliamentary joint committee session.

He said the government prioritizes long-term investments in science and education.

“In 2022, the funds allocated to the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports will grow 27%. Here are the works on developing and building educational facilities which will continue the ongoing construction works and develop numerous new educational institutions,” the PM said.

As of this moment 76 schools and 51 kindergartens are already under construction or renovation, he said. 

“In 2022 the government will allocate 83% more money for science alone, while the money allocated for scientific themed research is 2,5 times more, comprising 6,7 billion drams,” PM Pashinyan said.

Pashinyan added that the government’s goal is to make education and continuous development a lifestyle.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 12:12,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, ARMENPRESS. The government plans to consistently and continuously reduce the state debt and bring it to the circle defined by law, finance minister Tigran Khachatryan said during joint parliamentary committee debates on the 2022 state budget.

“2020, depending on both the pandemic and the war, led to a 63,5% state debt against the GDP. Pursuant to rules defined by law, this fact requires the government to present to parliament in the next five years the kind of a budgetary circle which would guarantee debt return in the limits not exceeding 60%,” he said.

Khachatryan said that their actions must lead to the 2022’s summarized indicator to be 60,2% of the GDP.

“Implementing reasonable capital or development programs through funding the deficit are the important preconditions which should secure the ensuring of economic potential and high economic growth. From this perspective we will head for a consistent and continuous reduction of the debt,” he said.

The deficit is projected 3,1%, a figure Khachatryan described as the “reasonable safe size” with which the government will be able to implement sectoral development programs by involving debt.

The finance minister also pointed out increasing tax revenues. The Pashinyan administration’s government action plan defines that by 2026 tax revenues must reach 25% of the GDP. This means that tax revenues must increase at least 0,5% every year.

“We will have significant increase of capital spending, both economic and social infrastructures. We see all this together as a precondition in terms of creating a sustainable environment for economic growth, because both 2022 and next years are the period of time in the government’s action plan where the targeted 7% economic growth is the minimum indicator,” he said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 12:32,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, ARMENPRESS. Minister of State of Artsakh Artak Beglaryan met on October 23 with US Congressmen David Valadao in Hanford, California, the Office of the State Minister said.

Artak Beglaryan thanked the Congressman for the constant support to the people of Artsakh, introduced him on the current situation and the humanitarian, political challenges in the Republic.

The State Minister said that there is a necessity for a broad international support especially for eliminating the humanitarian consequences of the 2020 War and finally exercising the Artsakh people’s right to self-determination.

David Valado reaffirmed his support to the protection of rights and freedoms of the people of Artsakh. The sides exchanged views on the possible involvement of US Congressmen in the solution of the existing problems.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 13:05,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, ARMENPRESS. The government projects construction and industry to be the main segment guiding economic growth in 2022, unlike the service sector in 2021, the minister of finance Tigran Khachatryan said at a joint parliamentary committee session debating the 2022 state budget draft.

He said that as of now the government’s forecast for 2021’s economic growth is around 6,5%, and 7% is the target placed in the basis of the 2022 budget. Khachatryan said the projections are accompanied by rather high inflation backgrounds of the current year.

“For next year we expect the inflation environment to return to the range defined by law, thus ensuring a more stable macro-environment,” he said.

“If this year the services were the main guiding sector for economic growth, next year it will be construction and industry. While in terms of expenditure components there will be greater impact with final consumption and export impacts.”

“In 2022 there will be a complete return to tax-budgetary rules. Current spending will not exceed tax revenues, and capital spending will be at least not less that the size of the state budget’s deficit,” he added.

The government projects capital spending to comprise 4,5% of the GDP in 2022.

Meanwhile, the Central Bank Vice Governor Nerses Yeritsyan called the 2022 state budget draft “ambitious”.

“Overall we can say that the 2022 state budget program is rather ambitious, and compared to the government’s mid-term spending program implies a significant acceleration of economic growth and potential,” he said, adding that government spending policy will be aimed at encouraging growth. 

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan