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21.10.2021
Executive Body Proposes Amendments to Law on RA Holidays and Memorial Days
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At October 21 sitting moderated by Vladimir Vardanyan, the NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs debated the draft law on Amending the RA Law on the RA Holidays and Memorial Days.

The Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan has noted that the adoption of the initiative is conditioned by the expediency of setting January 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7 working days. At present, the number of the paying non- working days being given to the RA citizen exceeds the number of the paying non-working days existing in many developed and moreover also in developing countries. The holiday and non-working days, conditioned by the fact of being non-working, leave their influence on the gross domestic product (GDP), as well as the production, the volumes of the export and import of the goods (services) of the main spheres and the on the fulfillment of contractual relations with the local and foreign partner organizations.

An attempt was made by the Ministry of Economy to evaluate the influence of setting five non-working days, as working days on economy and certain branches. As a result of evaluation, the GDP will increase by 123 bln AMD, the volume of the trade will increase by 47.5 bln AMD, the volume of industry – by 35.4 bln AMD, the volume of services – by 33.9 bln AMD. The volumes of agriculture and construction will increase accordingly by 3.5 and 2.9 bln AMD.

In the Q & A session the MPs tried to clarify the substantiation of reducing the working days. AN opinion was voiced that in the transition period it should relate only to the public servants. It was proposed to include also January 2 and 7 in the list of non-working days. It was noted that the citizens should be prepared for these changes, to regulate the problem with transitional provisions at this phase.

In terms of the economic growth record, Vladimir Vardanyan highlighted the adoption of the draft law. According to him, in case of even the change of working days in our country problems arise in the work with the foreign partner organizations. Vladimir Vardanyan quoted examples from the international experience. He proposed his colleagues to vote for it, noting that he would introduce suggestions from the first to the second reading.

The proposal was adopted with 5 for and 4 abstained votes by the Committee.