Thursday, January 23 2020 18:29

ArmInfo.The amount of benefits to poor families from 30 thousand drams will be reduced to 28 thousand drams. This decision was unanimously adopted at a meeting  of the RA Government on January 23.

The need for such changes, as explained by  Minister of Labor and  Social Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Zaruhi Batoyan, arose due  to changes in the principles of assessment and provision of financial  support, as well as due to an increase in 2019 of the minimum  pensions, wages, and expected changes in part of benefits in 2020  which would entail the withdrawal of about 11 thousand families (45  thousand family members) from the system of paying benefits to  low-income families.

"Due to the decrease in the average amount of benefits, it will be  possible not only to retain the right to receive benefits for 11  thousand families, but also to include another 1,000 families in this  system," the minister explained.

In general, for 2020, according to Zaruhi Batoyan, the state budget  allocated 37.2 billion drams in order to provide 98.7 thousand poor  families with benefits every month.

Before the expected changes in this area, she said, this decision is  important, in particular from the point of view of reducing social  tension and maintaining trends in poverty reduction.

In turn,  Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan  noted that he considers the changes proposed by the Minister to be  correct. He emphasized that, despite the fact that, in general, the  current system of government benefits is not so positive, however,  this decision will help poor families go through the adaptation phase  before the planned reforms.

<Our appeal to all low-income families is as follows - as a benefit  no family has yet overcome poverty. To continue to strive to be  included in this system is to wish to remain in the status of a poor  family. In those families, among whose members there are hard-working  citizens, the only way to overcome poverty is job.  Why should the  government create all the necessary conditions, in terms of securing  a favorable tax, credit and educational environment,> the prime  minister said

The head of government emphasized that if able-bodied citizens from  poor families can independently satisfy the needs of their relatives,  then the state will be able to provide more effective assistance to  disabled families. 

In this regard, Zaruhi Batoyan recalled the Benefit + program, which  provided the opportunity for 1000 families to get cattle, including  food, cash, and the help of specialists who would provide them with  the necessary knowledge and skills to care for cattle. 

According to her, as a result of the monitoring carried out in 15  communities of the Republic of Armenia, no violations were revealed,  on the contrary, citizens are asking for the expansion of the  program, including its continuation.  To such a statement, the Prime  Minister noted that the purpose of this program is primarily to  reduce poverty. At the same time, Pashinyan emphasized that the  government is ready to continue implementing the program, but based  solely on its results.  To recall, according to the data of the  National Statistical Committee, in 2018 the poverty level in Armenia  amounted to 23.5%, decreasing by 2.2% compared to 2017.