ArmInfo.The International Monetary Fund is ready to assist Armenia in the implementation of the reform programs proposed by the government of the country, the  Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department of the IMF  Jihad Azour said answering the question "Voices of America".

ArmInfo. In the framework of the plenary meeting of the spring session of the IMF / WB and the annual meeting of 2019 of the Governing Boards of the IMF and the WB Group, a number of meetings were held. The Central Bank's press service told  ArmInfo that Central Bank Chairman Artur Javadyan met with IMF Deputy  Managing Director Tao Zhang, IMF Regional Director for the Middle  East and Central Asia Jihad Azour, IMF Dutch Sub-Group Executive  Director Anthony De Lannoy.

ArmInfo. Armenia will send $ 5.4 million to maintain its quota in the World Bank, the relevant decision was adopted at a meeting of the RA Government on April 11.   Presenting the draft decision, Atom Janjughazyan, RA Minister of  Finance, noted that at the end of last year, the Bank, through its  structures- International Bank for Reconstruction and Development,  International Development Association, International Finance  Corporation, the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency and the  International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes-  carried out an additional issue of their shares.

ArmInfo. The volume of total foreign investment in the real sector of the economy of Armenia grew in 2018 by 7.9%, reaching $ 2.5 billion, while the year before growth  was higher - 14.8%. In their structure, the volume of FDI declined in  2018. by 11.2%, amounting to $ 607.7 million, against a more modest  decline of 4.7% in 2017. 

ArmInfo. The unemployment rate in Armenia, calculated using the new methodology, decreased in 2018 to 20.4% of the average y-o-y from 20.8% in 2017. And in the  calculation according to the old method, a decrease in the  unemployment rate for 2018 to 16.3% of the average y-o-y was recorded  from 17.8% in 2017. According to the RA Statistical Committee, the  new calculation method does not take into account those employed in  the household.

ArmInfo.World Bank (WB) Board of Directors on March 28 approved a new credit line of $ 500 million for Armenia to ensure sustainable and inclusive growth and  improve the welfare of the country's population within the framework  of the Country Partnership Framework CPF) for 2019-2023.

ArmInfo. The Central Bank of Armenia predicts unemployment rate at 15.9% for 2019 (according to the old methodology). In the medium term, the Central Bank expects an  annual decline in unemployment by 0.1-0.2 percentage points to 15.6%.

ArmInfo.The Government of Armenia and the World Bank (WB) have reached an agreement to finalize and clarify the components and subprojects of the WB loan program " Local Economy and Infrastructures Development ". This became known  after the meeting of the Deputy Minister of Economic Development and  Investments of the Republic of Armenia Avag Avanesyan with  representatives of the World Bank.

ArmInfo.In Armenia, the economic activity in January-February 2019 compared to the same period of 2017 increased by 6.5%, against last year's 8.6% growth. According to  preliminary data of the National Statistical Service of the Republic  of Armenia, the annual growth was provoked to a greater extent by the  construction sector and the services sector. Only in February 2019,  economic activity increased by 9.3%, and compared with February 2018  - by 7.6%, against last year's rising 7.2% in February and 7.3%  compared to February 2017.

ArmInfo.According to the World Bank's forecast, the ratio of the current account deficit to GDP in Armenia in 2019 will reach 8.6% with a decrease in 2020 to 8%. For  2018, the WB estimate provides for this ratio at the level of 8.1%,  against the actual 2.4% in 2017. This forecast is given in the WB  economic report "Armenia. A powerful mandate for change in conditions  of a slowdown in global economic growth. Winter 2019", published  March 20.

ArmInfo. The social and political risks noted by the World Bank (WB) in connection with the possible failure of the economic reforms implemented by the Armenian  government are zero. The Minister of Economic Development and  Investments of Armenia Tigran Khachatryan told ArmInfo correspondent  about this.It should be noted that in the WB's new forecast,  published on March 20, "Armenia.

ArmInfo.The World Bank predicts in Armenia the ratio of budget revenues to GDP at the level of 24.3% in 2019, with an increase in 2020 to 25.2%. And in terms of budget  expenditures / GDP, the WB expects an increase in the level of  2019-2020 from 26.5% to 27.2%.

ArmInfo. According to the World Bank's forecast, the international reserves of Armenia in 2019 will be reduced to $ 1.953 billion, but later will increase in 2020 to $  2.250 billion. The new forecast is given in the WB economic report  "Armenia. A strong mandate for change amid a global slowdown. Winter  2019>.

ArmInfo. The net inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) to Armenia in 2019 will be $ 340 million, in 2020 - $ 403 million. This is stated in the new forecast  of the World Bank , published the day before. According to the  document, the volume of net inflow of FDI in the past 2018,  previously, amounted to $ 287 million, against the actual $ 228  million in 2017.

ArmInfo. The poorest group of the population of Armenia in terms of their poverty level, calculated on the basis of purchasing power parity (PPP) at a cost of $ 1.9 per  day, in 2019 will decrease to 1.0% of the population, against 1.3% in  2018. According to the forecast, in 2020, such people in the country  will be only 0.8% of the total population.

ArmInfo.The World Bank revised the outlook for Armenia's foreign trade to 2019, expecting acceleration of export growth to 8.8% and a slowdown in import growth  to 12.2%, against export growth of 7.8% and import by 21.1% actually  recorded in 2018 . For 2020, the World Bank forecasts export growth  by 9.4%, and imports - by 11.4%.A new forecast is given in the WB  economic report "Armenia. A powerful mandate for change in conditions  of a slowdown in global economic growth.  Winter 2019" published  March 20.

ArmInfo.In 2018, the net inflow of transfers to Armenia amounted to only $ 557 million.  Executive Director of the Union of Banks of Armenia (UBA) Seyran Sargsian said this at the final press conference."Despite the upward trend,  however, unfortunately, we did not achieve the figures recorded in  2013," he said, noting that according to the results of last year,  the inflow of transfers to Armenia amounted to $ 1.7 billion while  outflows reached $ 1.2 billion.

ArmInfo.rmenia has no problems with servicing the public debt.  Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said this on March 19 at a press conference in Yerevan.  As  ArmInfo was told in the State Debt Management Department of the  Ministry of Finance of Armenia, in 2019 Armenia will pay about 356.9  billion drams ($ 733 million) to repay and service the government  debt, which at the end of 2018 amounted to $ 6,372.9 million. ).

ArmInfo. On 18 March 2019  Lawrence Meredith,  Director for Neighbourhood East at the European Commission and  leading International Financing Institutions (IFIs) are on a joint  mission in Yerevan to discuss policy priorities and sustainable  investment solutions for energy efficiency in buildings, both public  and private.

ArmInfo. Prime Minister Nikol  Pashinyan received Cyril Muller, Vice-President of the World Bank  (WB) for Europe and Central Asia for Europe and Central Asia.As  reported by the press service of the Prime Minister of Armenia, the  Prime Minister, stressing the importance of financial and technical  assistance of the WB to our country, noted that the government is  interested in deepening further cooperation and increasing the  efficiency and focus of the programs implemented.