Thursday, 22 March 2012
Welfare Programs In Focus
A Cabinet sitting was held today, chaired by Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan.
The Executive directed the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources to ensure that AMD 204,872.288 be paid to “Hayrusgasard” CJSC by the Ministry-affiliated public companies’ from the proceeds of retained profit left over after the settlement of profit tax to the State budget in partial reimbursement for the amount of gas consumed by vulnerable households in October-December, 2011.
“Meant to provide relief to needy gas consumers, this initiative will be continued ahead to provide that vulnerable households pay 100 dram for 300 cubic meters of gas consumed instead of the currently applicable 132 drams. The program has already proved effective enabling considerable savings in our needy citizens’ family budgets,” the Prime Minister said and told the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources to continue working with “Hayrusgasard” in this direction.
The Government decided to set up an interagency task force to deal with such issues as may arise during the registration of applications received from border region settlements by the Government Staff or other public agencies by Match 1, 2012. The task force shall also develop proposals and submit them to Government Staff by this September 1.
The meeting decided to extend until November 1, 2014 the deadline set for VAT settlements by Ararat Food Factory Ltd for over AMD 300mn worth of goods and equipments as imported under its ongoing investment program from November 1, 2011 to December 30, 2012.
The Company has invested AMD 2bn into a European technology-based natural juice production unit creating some 70 jobs instead of the planned 40.
The Company plans to expand its activities making additional investments to the amount of AMD 1.59bn generating 70-80 more jobs with AMD110 thousand average wages.
“Ararat Food Factory Ltd is one of those entities which responded to our proposal three years ago as we turned to domestic importers suggesting them to substitute the imports with home-made commodities offering the Government’s assistance. A few entrepreneurs believed the government and came up with investment bids. This is a good example that should be followed on by those companies that have secured new foreign markets.
The meeting backed two proposals on signing a defense arrangement between the governments of Armenia and Italy and a cooperation agreement between the governments of Armenia and Ukraine in the field of veterinary services.
The Executive decided that the Diplomat’s Day will henceforth be marked on March 2, the date of Armenia’s accession to the United Nations.
