ArmInfo. In 2018, it is planned to invest 35.2bln AMD in the economy of the Armenian Aragatsotn region. This was reported to the Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan by the region's governor Ashot Simonyan.
According to the press service of Armenian Government, as a result of the implementation of investment programs in the region, 350 new jobs will be created. It is planned to carry out 350 basic works in 2018, as a result of which another 600 new jobs will appear in the region. According to the governor, in 2017, the private sector invested 6.5 billion AZMD, and in 2018 this figure will be brought up to 20.4 billion AMD. These funds will be directed to such areas as milk and dairy production, fruit and vegetable processing, juice and alcohol production, diamond processing, textile production, tourism, etc.
As a whole, Ashot Simonyan noted, in 2017, the share of the Aragatsotn region in Armenia's domestic gross product was 3%. At the same time, gross industrial production in the region amounted to 35.9 billion AMD against 39.4 billion AMD a year earlier. The gross agricultural production last year was at the level of 89.1 billion drams against 87 billion AMD in 2016, which is 693.4 thousand drams per capita, which is twice the average for the republic.
The trade turnover in the region in 2017 amounted to 16.9 billion AMD, which is 1.9 billion AMD more compared to 2016, which makes 131.6 thousand AMD per capita. The volume of rendered services last year was at the level of 10.9 billion AMD, which is 86.5 thousand drams per capita. Growth in comparison with 2016 amounted to 1.7 billion AMD. The volume of construction work was 26.2 billion AMD, which is 1.46% higher than the average for the republic. The growth amounted to 3.6 billion AMD.
In 2017 the region exported goods for 4.6 billion AMD, which is 3 billion AMD less than in 2016. In 2017, investments in the region were 26.2 billion AMD, which is 6 billion AMD more than in the previous year.
Ashot Simonyan said that there are 54,1003 hectares of arable land in the region, 40-50% of which are processed every year. The main reason for this is the remoteness of these lands, their stoniness, as well as the difficulties with irrigation. In the area from in 2018 it is planned to increase the area of irrigated land by 400 hectares through the implementation of projects to repair water supply networks. In 2017, the area was founded by intensive gardens on an area of 11 hectares, in general, the area of intensive gardens in the area is currently 30 hectares. At the same time Ashot Simonyan informed that only in 2018 in the region it is planned to establish intensive gardens on an area of 120 hectares. This year in the communities of Ashtarak and Voskevaz three more greenhouses will be put into operation. Within the framework of the agricultural production leasing program, 14 units of modern agricultural machinery were purchased, another 15 units are planned to be purchased during the current year. With the private sector, negotiations are underway to establish a regional agricultural station in the region.
The RA Prime Minister welcomed the implementation of the agricultural programs, pointing out the importance of increasing the volume of agricultural exports. At the same time, the head of government urged to pay more attention to the development of livestock breeding, assuring that in this issue there will be no problems with the sale of products. Karen Karapetyan also pointed to the importance of clarifying statistical data. "We need truthful figures, we do not need to draw them." The plan, which is being laid, should be heavily loaded, and in this context the document's 95-97% compliance will be welcomed more than 120%, since there is an understanding that when planning "Our GDP growth rates for the coming years should be higher than in the EAEU, the CIS and other countries." We closed this year with such indicators, "Karen Karapetyan said.
The Prime Minister was also informed that in 2017 the revenues of the budgets of local authorities amounted to 3.708 billion AMD, which is 99.1% of the planned ones, and the communities own revenues made 1.237 billion AMD, ensuring 98% performance. At the same time, own revenues were raised by 218 million AMD more than a year earlier. In 2018, the communities of the region plan to collect 171.4 million AMD more than their own incomes, than in 2017.
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