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.
