Karen Karapetyan: one of Syunik region preferences should be the fact of neighborhood with the Iranian market

ArmInfo. In 2018, investments in  the Syunik region of Armenia in the amount of 52.2 billion drams and  creation of 1,077 non-agricultural jobs are expected. Prime Minister  Karen Karapetyan was informed about this by the governor of Syunik  Vahe Hakobyan. As the press service of the executive body informs,  the head of government visited the Lori region to get familiarized  with the results of the activities carried out in individual spheres  within the framework of the programs for the development of the  region and communities in 2017 and tasks for 2018.

In particular, the head of the regional administration, presenting  the main macroeconomic indicators of the region, informed that the  volume of industrial output in 2017 amounted to 275.04 billion drams,  gross agricultural production reached 62.1 billion drams,  construction volume - 18.08 billion drams, small-scale commodity  turnover amounted to 19.4 billion drams, the volume of paid services  - 35.5 billion drams.

Within the framework of investment and credit development programs,  investments in the region amounted to 40.2 billion drams, 573 basic  jobs were created. As part of private sector investments in Kapan, an  Italian pizza production company operates, 10 jobs are created, and  another 70 are planned to be created in 2018. The company has also  received the "Halal" certificate, on the basis of which the products  can be exported to Iran.

It was reported that the own revenues of 8 communities in the region  in 2017 amounted to 1.685.7 million drams, compared with 2016,  providing growth of 21.2%. This year the indicator is expected to  reach 1,902.9 million drams.  As the head of government stressed, the  issue of water supply will become the number one topic. "In other  words, the main part of the saved and collected funds will be sent to  ensure the supply of water.

 Part of the water strategy is the following: the transition from  large reservoirs to small and medium-sized ones, involving  representatives of private business in this case. The government  subsidizes the program for the construction of the reservoir, either  during the purchase or during construction. If, say, the program will  cost 10 million, and representatives of the business community will  finance 7 million, then the state will provide the remaining three. I  trust this program and I believe that this is the most effective of  all programs within the framework of "state-private" sector  cooperation, "the prime minister said.