ArmInfo. The Ministry of Internal Affairs is scheduled to receive 102.6 billion drams in 2026. This was announced on November 3 by RA Finance Minister Vahe Hovhannisyan at a meeting of the joint committees of the National Assembly, where next year's state budget is being discussed.
According to him, the planned allocations to the Ministry of Internal Affairs are 2.3 billion drams less than in 2025. The decrease in funding is primarily due to the reduction in two programs: internal education at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and policy monitoring and control within the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
In turn, RA Minister of Internal Affairs Arpine Sargsyan announced that 101.4 billion drams will be allocated for current expenses next year, and 1.2 billion drams for capital expenditures. She added that current expenses will increase by 2.3 billion drams in 2026, due to the employee certification process. Bonuses are also planned for next year for civil servants of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which were not paid this year. In connection with the formation of the Police Guard, an increase in food expenses for service employees is envisaged.
Sargsyan also reported that, as part of the loan program, the modernization of the seismic protection network is planned to begin next year. Specifically, six geological and chemical stations and 13 types of critical equipment will be created. This will allow the Seismic Protection Service to perform more accurate calculations, ensuring more precise forecasts. New vehicles will be purchased for the Rescue Service, including equipment for fire and rescue services.
The minister noted that, based on the results of the first nine months of this year, there was an increase in latent crime in the republic. For example, the number of drug-related crimes increased by 391, while the number of illegal arms and ammunition trafficking cases increased by 249. At the same time, the number of serious and especially serious crimes decreased by 0.7%. Concurrently, the crime detection rate for general crime increased by 3.5%, for serious crimes by 5.3%, and for especially serious crimes by 9.9%.
Speaking about homicides, Sargsyan emphasized that they are primarily related to domestic issues, and the homicide rate continues to trend. Homicides account for 0.2% of all crimes committed. This year, 1,443 vehicle thefts were also recorded, a 5.4% decrease compared to the same period last year. During the reporting period, patrols identified 16 groups stealing car parts and four groups engaged in extortion. The minister also reported a 10.7% increase in road accidents. At the same time, the number of road traffic fatalities decreased by 43.
