Thursday, 5 August 2010
Armenia helps extinguish fires in Russia
Chaired by Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, the Government met in a regular session at the Office of Government. As suggested by the Prime Minister, the Government heard the report of the Minister of Emergency Situations on the need of providing emergency assistance to the forest fire-plagued Russian Federation. Yesterday and today fire brigades and corresponding equipment were fielded to the disaster zones in Russia. The Government decided to allocate AMD 24,600,000.00 to the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Armenia.
The Cabinet decided to make the following redistributions in the 2010 State budget: Syunik marz administration will be allocated AMD 32,279,621.4 for transfer to Halidzor and Shinuhair village communities. This amount will be used to improve key infrastructures in these communities as part of Tatev cableway construction and inauguration activities. The RA Ministry of Economy was allocated as follows: AMD 65475.00 thousand to prepare video clips on Tatev monastic complex and Tatev-Halidzor cableway inauguration for subsequent broadcasting on Euronews TV channel, AMD 27670.00 for hosting a symposium entitled Cross-Border Traveling involving regional representatives of National Geographic Traveler review.
Considering the Armenian Renewable Energy and Savings Fund’s years-long successful record, the Executive directed the RA Minister of Energy and Natural Resources to organize the setting up of a 100% RESF-financed lending entity with the status of closed joint stock company and AMD 200mn statutory capital mediating the proceeds of the World Bank-supported renewable energy project.
The Government decided to extend for 3 more years the “Temporary import” customs mode applicable to Akhtamar CJSC for about AMD 830mn worth of fixed asset imports carried out in 2009 with the purpose of building a cableway over Sevan peninsula. Akhtamar CJSC proved in a difficult financial position due to incomplete mounting and assembly work that has prevented the company from making profit. The Executive decided to support the company as their effort, which can generate some 100 new jobs in Armenia, meets the Government’s focus on developing tourism at home.
The sitting amended a previous decree concerning the setup of “RA Ministry of Justice Staff” State establishment, the approval of agency by-laws and organization. In particular, the functions of Legal Act Expertise Department have been defined as a service to be provided on the part of a separate agency. The new agency’s by-laws and organization were approved under a separate decree. The Government next endorsed the by-laws and organization of Ministry of Justice Staff legal entity activity oversight inspectorate. Note that before this decision the Ministry did not have a control unit like this.
The following two decisions have also been amended: first, the Government founded a Cultural Program Implementation Office State establishment and then reorganized a number of SNCOs. 4 of its previous decrees were invalidated by the Cabinet. As a result, the functions of Ministry of Culture’s built-in and detached units were clarified and separated and national centers for the promotion of culture were founded.
The sitting similarly discussed a number of draft laws and other questions.
