Tuesday, 16 February 2016
Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs Submits Performance Report
Chaired by Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan, the Cabinet discussed today the 2015 performance report delivered by Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Artem Asatryan covering the Ministry’s key activities, the fulfillment of the Government’s action plan, priority tasks and estimated performance.
New mechanisms of social protection were introduced and tested in 2015 along with the development and strengthening of the existing systems. As the Minister said, a basic objective is the reduction of poverty among pensioners.
To this end, the size of the average labor pension in 2015 amounted to about 41 thousand drams, having increased by 5 thousand drams. The basic military pension in the past year amounted to 16 thousand drams. The honorable payout to the veterans of the Great Patriotic War increased from 25 thousand AMD to 50 thousand drams on May 1, 2015.
Last year, out of the 13 600 households registered in the system of the family allowance, monthly benefits were provided to 10 thousand 408, with the average benefit amounting to 30 thousand 350 drams.
Referring to the employment sector, Artem Asatryan noted that radically changed the state employment policy, based on the ideology of job seekers and persons receiving income through employment.
Under a pilot temporary employment program, over 400 unemployed persons were involved in paid public works in 44 frontier communities of Tavush Marz of Armenia. Efforts were made to realize disability rights, ensure equal opportunities and children’s right to live in the family through the development of alternative care services.
Noting that he keeps in focus the social sector, Hovik Abrahamyan emphasized that increasing public confidence in the system should be the priority in 2016, based on the principle of justice and impartiality.
The Prime Minister also stressed the importance of ensuring the effective and transparent functioning of social services, increased control over their activities. Appreciating the work done in the given field, Hovik Abrahamyan stressed the need to eliminate the existing shortcomings.
