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648 billion 453.5 million AMD is envisaged to allocate by the financial document of 2023 for financing the projects being implemented on the RA Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. It was designed with a specified budget of 2022 that during this year projects worth of 589 billion 860 million projects should be financed, and the actual projects of 2021 were 619 billion 786.1 million AMD. The RA Minister of Finance Tigran Khachatryan noted presenting the financial allocations of the coming year at the joint sitting of the NA Standing Committees on Labor and Social Affairs and on Financial-Credit and Budgetary Affairs.

The allocations of 2023 compared with 2022 increased by 11.9% or by 68.7% AMD: the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Narek Mkrtchyan informed about this.

The minimum salary of envisaged to make 75.000 AMD from 68.000 AMD from July 1, 2023.

51 billion 296 million 177.000 AMD was designed by the project Improvement of Demographic State, which is 63.2% more compared with 2022.

A benefit of up to 2-year child for the children born from January 1, 2023 will be appointed to all mothers regardless of their place of registration. As a result, the number of beneficiaries will increase at the expense of non-working city-dweller, as well as hired worker/employees, but not being in a care leave. In case of a parent being in a care leave, the amount of the benefit will be counted from the interest set by the Government against the minimum salary, but in case of mothers being unemployed or hired, but in case of mothers not being in care leave – in the amount not exceeding the 85% of the sum set for the parent being in care leave. The care benefits of the villager and at the same time of the parent being in care leave be paid in the amount of the total sum of the mentioned one. The amount of the benfit will be set 37.500 AMD from January 2023 for the mothers working and being in care leave of the children born from 1 January 2023, and in other case – 31.600 AMD instead of the present 28.600 AMD. The parent of the working villager and being in care leave will receive 69.100 AMD, and for those born in 2023 – 63.200 AMD.

The amount of the childbirth lump sum allowance set for 2022 will be preserved in 2023. 19 billion 897 million AMD will be allocated for the lump sum allowance on the occasion of the newly born babies.

State support to the beneficiary families for supporting the large and young families with housing is provided for covering the mortgage loans. The expenditures were forecast in the amount of 1 billion 290 million AMD for this purpose. During the year 2022, within the framework of the programme more than 2300 families received support.

3.763.4 million AMD is envisaged for the implementation of the project for care services to the persons above the age of 18, within the framework of which 1260 will be provided round the clock care, in home conditions care services (including also persons with psychic health problems) – 1250, in the day centres for providing care and food in the charity canteens – 1200 and in the temporary accommodations to the homeless people – 100 beneficiaries.

1.601.9 million AMD was designed to allocate for the employment programme, within the programme of which 8 state programmes of employment will be implemented. 5215 beneficiaries are envisaged to include in the employment state programmes, moreover – 2900 in the season and payable public work of temporary character.

The Minister informed that 5 new programmes of the employment worked out by the Ministry is under debate.

3.835.1 million AMD is envisaged for the housing programme. In 2023, the new event The state programme for providing housing availability for the families displaced from the separate regions of the Artsakh Republic, which will give an opportunity to the displaced families to obtaining residential real estate or construct individual residential house, for which 2 million AMD will be provided. In October, the Government reviewed the decision, according to which, if the displaced family obtains real estate or builds in the RA border rural settlement, then that family will receive additional support, particularly, 14 million AMD will be provided, and in case of construction – up to 16 million AMD for covering the mother sum of the mortgage loan. Up to 13% sum will be designed for covering the interest sum.

422.304.8 million AMD is designed to allocate on the retirement insurance programme. In the forecasts the following indicators were accepted: the amount of the minimum pension – 31.600 AMD instead of 28.600 AMD paid until September 1, 2022. And from July 2023 it is envisaged to reach the minimum pension to 36.000 AMD, the cost of one working year – 525 AMD instead of 500 AMD.

The person’s functionality assessment system will be introduced, which will give an opportunity to set the disability, which will give an opportunity to set the disability, taking into consideration the restriction of the person’s functionality and not exclusively the health state.

In their interpellations the deputies touched upon the efficiency of the programmes being implemented in the sphere of employment, the programmes regarding the children’s and the women’s rights, the support of the persons’ with disabilities, the problem of the dwellings for the homeless persons.

According to the Minister, not only the Ministry is responsible for the demography policy, so the document will be a result of demography policy of the RA Government. There are 49 united social service territorial centres in the republic, which are primary bodies responding the citizens’ social problems.

To avoid the unscrupulous services in the care of the homeless the deputy Zaruhi Batoyan expressed opinion that as we don’t have two operating organizations in the field, it will be more expedient either to delegate this service or operate under the community.

In response, Narek Mkrtchyan noted that at this moment a number of versions are under debate in decently organizing the process of providing care for the homeless.

Narek Mkrtchyan mentioned there is no strategic approach on employment programmes: distinct strategic programme is necessary. “We try to review those programmes. We are trying to have more united employment programmes. In parallel to that, of course, there are operating programmes,” the Minister noted.

During the Q&A session the Minister and the Deputy Ministers informed in detail about the expansion of the framework of the beneficiaries for social packages, programmes aimed at boosting demography and childbirth, the increase of the salaries for the day care centre workers, the decrease of the monetary means for the deposits, the creation of the information platform in the employment sphere and the prosthetics process for the wounded because of war and military actions and their support programme.

The Chair of the NA Standing Committee on Labor and Social Affairs Heriknaz Tigranyan highlighted the decision regarding the working year, opining that the first working year cannot be counted much more and not to encourage the person for further years. According to her, that fact does not motivate the citizen to work more than 10 years. “The minimum working year of a person who has worked until 10 years shall not be equal to the benefit of a person who has never worked,” the Committee Chair underlined.

Heriknaz Tigranyan also emphasized the regulation, by which irrespective of the organizational-legal form, those who work in schools have been included in the list the social package beneficiaries.