ArmInfo. On January 13, the Armenian government decided to amend the procedure for implementing subvention programs aimed at the socio-economic development of the regions, and to increase funding for the construction of preschool institutions.
According to Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures Gnel Sanosyan, in order to increase efficiency in the process of implementing subvention programs, changes are constantly being made. At this stage, about 10 changes have been identified to further improve the implementation of subsidy programs.
"In previous years, border and high-mountain communities were marked in one line. Now we have tried to separate border communities in order to increase the amount of state support in this direction. I should note that the change applies to all border settlements," the minister said.
Another change concerns preschool institutions. "Given the government's intention to give new impetus to the construction of kindergartens in communities, it is proposed to increase state support. The minimum support threshold has been set at 70%, regardless of the distance of the settlement from the capital. The participation of the state in border and high mountain areas will be increased to 80%," he pointed out.
Gnel Sanosyan noted that this year a new direction of state support to communities is being added - the improvement of roads leading to remote pastures. The program is aimed at the development of agriculture. The Armenian government will also work towards providing high-speed Internet to settlements. "We want to introduce a new direction - to lay a fiber-optic network channel, and suggest the government to participate in the implementation of this program," the minister said.
RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan highlighted the well-coordinated work of the community, government and private business. He recalled the government's program to build 500 kindergartens in the next 5 years. The Prime Minister also pointed out that there are more than 1 million hectares of pastures in the republic, but about 80% of them are not used. The reason, as studies of the Cabinet of Ministers have indicated, is the lack of normal roads leading to them.
Previously, the government reported that in 2018-2021, about 1190 subvention programs were implemented in Armenia. The total cost of these subvention programs was not indicated in the press release, however, on November 18, at a government meeting, RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that since 2018, the Armenian government, within the framework of subvention programs and direct financing, has directed about 400 million US dollars to social - economic development of the country's communities.
Pashinyan recalled that in 2021 the budget of programs implemented jointly with communities of subsidy programs will amount to about 47 billion drams In addition, as Pashinyan pointed out, the government makes direct investments in communities. "We summarized the data - since 2018, direct funding of communities has amounted to 86 billion drams. Schools are being renovated in many cities, but they remain outside the scope of subvention programs. It turns out that since 2018 we have invested about 400 million US dollars through the implementation of subvention programs or direct investments," Nikol Pashinyan said, stressing that the 2022 budget provides for an increase in the volume of these investments.
