ArmInfo. In 2023, pensions will increase by 6,000 drams ($14.5 at the current exchange rate - ed. note). Minister of Labor and Social Affairs of Armenia Narek Mkrtchyan announced this on July 12 in parliament in an interview with journalists. At the same time, as the minister pointed out, inflation is a global phenomenon and will continue not only until the end of this year, but also in 2023.
<In 2023, we plan to increase pensions and benefits, and the Prime Minister (Nikol Pashinyan) also informed about raising the minimum wage at the government session. We are now discussing the 2023 budget in working mode. There will be a raise. In 2023, it is planned to increase the pension in 2 stages up to 6 thousand drams>, he said.
Touching upon the inflation rate (in the consumer market of Armenia, y-o-y inflation in June 2022 increased to 10.3%. - ed. note), Mkrtchyan said that the department he heads does not and never had tools to control inflation. "We can offer to increase pensions and benefits, bring them closer to the consumer basket so that citizens can solve their problems," he said, recalling that the issue of curbing inflation is the responsibility of the Central Bank.
At a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers, Nikol Pashinyan informed about raising the minimum wage, pensions and benefits from January 1, 2023. According to him, they plan to raise the minimum wage to 75,000 drams from the current 68,000. Benefits for caring for a child up to two years will also increase from 28,600 to 30,700 drams (34,000 drams for working mothers), regardless of whether the mother works or not. At the same time, the allowance in rural areas will be paid in a double amount - 61,400 drams, the prime minister said. Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Narek Mkrtchyan, in turn, noted that from 2023, a working mother, having gone on maternity leave, will retain the right to benefits.
