Republican Party of Armenia

A Cabinet sitting was held today, chaired by Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan.

The Government made redistributions in the 2013 State budget and amended one of its earlier decisions to allocate AMD61mn to the Ministry of Urban Development to implement expenditure programs, complete the ongoing construction sites with no due dates designed to provide financial support (reasonable proportion) of design documents, pay for the services rendered in 2012-2013.

In this context, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan addressed the issue of monitoring and completing the State-owned and unfinished construction sites: “The point is that we have an obligation to provide welfare housing to the citizens of certain social groups. It will cost us far less, if we complete the unfinished sites rather than start new ones. If there are any unfinished facilities, it is advisable to spend money on them. The same applies to unfinished facilities in the private sector. There are many buildings unfinished for more than 10 years now, and we can not watch them fall into decrepitude. We have to make a decision about what to do, if the private sector does not comply with the obligation of bringing them to completion. As a result, many problems arise due to these issues, which need discussing and tackling, inclusive of penalties or judicial processes.”

The Government has set an export insurance company in line with the government’s export- oriented industrial strategy. The company is meant to safeguard the bank of exporters or exporting company from the risk of non-payment by the borrower or buyer, create new ways insurance schemes for banks, lower interest rates and expand the banks’ coverage of export operations.

The Government amended one of its earlier decisions, allocating AMD8mn to Veterinary and Phytosanitary Laboratory Service Center SNCO for the purchase of materials and supplies necessary for honey expertise.

With the next decision, the Executive approved standards, health certification procedures and certification forms applicable to honey and other bee products fit for human consumption and due for export toward the European Union.

The meeting decided to earmark AMD22.5mn to the Ministry of Culture for transfer to Minas Avetisyan charitable foundation in order to ensure the fixation and restoration of “Armenia” fresco by Minas Avetisyan now on display at the House of Culture in Vahramaberd village of Shirak Marz. To remind, in the period 2010-2012, the Foundation fixed, restored and moved a number of key works by Minas Avetisyan, including “Meeting,” “Khachkar,” “Carpet Weaving,” “Yerkank,” “Spinning,” “Armenian Pastoral,” etc.

In conclusion, the Government decided to exempt from the payment of entry visa-necessitated State duties those foreign nationals featuring on the list of “Sahakyan” choir due to arrive from Turkey to Armenia for a concert tour this October 14 to 2013.