Monday, 21 April 2008
Introducing the newly appointed minister Agvan Vardanyan to the staff of RA Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and congratulating him on his appointment, the RA Prime Minister expressed confidence that the administrative and professional skills built up for the last five years on the post of minister will enable Mr. Vardanyan as assisted by his staff to continue solving the problems set before the ministry:
"I want to touch upon a burning issue as specified in the government program, namely and first of all, the question of the social protection of the vulnerable layers of the population. It is stipulated in our program that relevant policies should be more targeted. Together with you, we must identify the poor more accurately to ensure that relief is more targeted and the earmarked funds are not wasted and reach the needy households. A major task to be met within the next five years is the implementation of pension reforms and the introduction of a new pension concept. I only want to read out a paragraph from the statement of the RA Prime Minister concerning this task: "The government will gradually raise the level of pensions and system of pensions." As a whole, pensions will be increased 1.5 times which have already grown by 60% this year. In parallel, the government will continue working in the direction of introduction of multistage pensions system, including the introduction of the system of funded pensions. Our population should learn saving up money, the young generation should assume responsibility for a safe and well-off old age by participating in the funded pension system. Hereinafter, all employed young people should realize that the State entrusts them with the decision of the issue of their pension security and, if employed, they should also take care about the provided pension age. This implies a radical shift in the pension reform and having your support we should carry out this improvement in the society. We have spent quite a long time in developing the concept note, we have built up appropriate knowledge and a team of young experts which seem to be in a position to introduce this knowledge and modernize the pensions system in the Republic of Armenia. When we say that the pension systems must be multistage, the model to be introduced should be in harmony with the mentioned funded system. And I am confident that in implementing this reform, we shall create serious incentives for the development of both the economy and the society."
