Tuesday, 9 September 2008
The Governing Council of Millenium Challenge Account-Armenia SNCO met, presided at by GC Chairman, RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan.
First, the Council discussed and approved a package of application and attached documents for a ninth disbursement under the program to be submitted to the MCC for endorsement. This package includes the disbursement request and the quarterly financial report, the working plan, the statements of preconditions and procurements, as well as a summary report and the performance oversight table. MCA-Armenia SNCO General Executive Director Ara Hovsepyan has noted that under this request, the MCA-Armenia expects to get USD 4,723,224 next quarter (October-December, 2008). In his words, total expenditures for the given quarter will rise to USD 5, 198, 560.
Ara Hovsepyan said that this ninth disbursement will cover rural road rehabilitation, irrigated agriculture, monitoring and evaluation, program management and monitoring activities. He advised that as part of the rural road rehabilitation component, construction activities will be financed to the amount equivalent of USD 9, 582, 970. As of the end of the third quarter (September, 2008), the aggregate amount of actual and planned expenditures under the program makes USD 23, 493, 429.
Once endorsed by the head of the MCA-Armenia SNCO Governing Council, the disbursement application will be sent to the MCC for approval.
Next, the Council discussed and approved the changes to the contracts on road section repairs under the rural road rehabilitation activity, as well as the draft contract on consulting services for the next stages of the farming activity study under the monitoring and evaluation component of the above-said program. The Council urged MCA-Armenia SNCO to cooperate with the central and local centers of agriculture support in the frame of the program.
In conclusion, a reference note was submitted to the Council concerning the amendments of the procurements plan as approved by the Governing Council on July 7, 2008.
