Friday, 29 January 2010
Ministerial reports summed up by Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan
Chaired by Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, the Cabinet met in a planned session at the Office of Government.
Before proceeding to the agenda, on behalf of government members, Vice-premier Armen Gevorgyan congratulated Tigran Sargsyan on his 50th birth anniversary by wishing him robust health, well-being and much success. Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan thanked the meeting and addressed those in attendance:
“I wish to begin with the review of annual reports. We have finished discussing the ministerial reports. As we discussed them we were able state both the achievements and shortcomings of 2009, as well as those priority tasks set for the year 2010 to be kept under the ministers’ immediate control. We must reach these reports out to the public at large. Earlier today, as I was looking through the reports, I had the idea of making a highlight of our achievements in the following four areas of activity.
Firstly, the State Revenue Committee by the Government managed to bring down considerably the level of overpayments in 2009.
A second advance was recorded in the sphere of healthcare. The government’s birth support program proved successful last year. 3 thousand more children were born in 2009 as compared to 2008.
Public welfare was the third successful area. We carried out a number of breakthrough actions in the period under review. Against a background of 14% economic downturn, we were able to raise pensions and benefits nationwide by 16% and 12% respectively. Moreover, we managed to take from AMD 300 thousand up to 430 thousand the amount of lump-sum benefits available for every third and over children born in our households. Besides, notwithstanding the protracted crisis, we sharply increased family allowances from 3 to 18 thousand drams. Lump-sum child allowances were brought up to AMD 50 thousand from the former 35 thousand. Indeed, these measures went a long way toward easing the social tensions.
And, finally, police activity was the fourth successful area last year. We achieved a seven-year record fall in the number of road accidents, beyond comparison for both the CIS and international statistics. The death toll in road accidents went down by 84 as compared to the same period of 2008, with the overall number of injuries having decreased by 372.”
The Government approved the Affordable Housing for Young Families State program which seeks to provide State support to young families in need of housing through corresponding legal, financial and organizational investment. Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan highlighted this decision as it featured on the electoral program of the President of Armenia.
By means of two other decisions, the Government approved the Armenian Red Books for plants and animals. At this point, the sphere is governed by the ones published 1989 which include 387 and 99 endangered and rare species of plants and animals respectively. In their second edition, the Red Books will cover a total of 463 top-rated plants and 310 animal species both vertebrate and invertebrate.
The Executive has also endorsed a concept note on the management of hard urban wastes (garbage-collection) for the city of Yerevan, based on the feasibility study conducted by Fichtner company (Germany).
The Government agreed to the proposal on signing a cooperation agreement between the governments of Armenia and Russia in the areas of culture, science, education and youth policy. The instrument provides that the contracting sides will exchange know-how concerning the streamlining and legal regulation of the following fields of activity: culture, art, preservation of cultural-historical heritage, cinema, management of State archives, copyright and relevant laws, fundamental research, education and youth policy. The two sides shall facilitate the teaching of the Armenian language and literature in the educational establishments of Russia and the teaching of the Russian language and literature in the educational establishments of Armenia respectively.
The Government decided to allocate up to AMD 8000.0 thousand to RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs with a view to ordering a unified jubilee medal (3500 copies) on the 65th anniversary of the victory in Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. To be issued under relevant resolutions passed by the CIS councils of heads of State and heads of government, this medal will be conferred upon the war veterans of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.
The Government discussed 27 questions altogether.
