Thursday, 27 October 2016
Cabinet Meeting Held: Prime Minister Gives Instructions
A regular Cabinet meeting was held today, chaired by Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan.
Before discussing the agenda, referring to the National Assembly Standing Committees’ 2017 State budget bill debate as scheduled for October 31, the Prime Minister stated in part, “It is important that the performance reports be in a budgeting format and more consistent with the provisions of the program presented by the government. In particular, it is necessary to clearly describe to lawmakers and society those approaches and principles under which your budgets have been formulated. Funding should be presented based on the quantitative and qualitative indicators and programs carried out in order to have an idea of the purpose and necessity. I am hereby asking everyone to get prepared and show maximum attention.”
Then, the Prime Minister gave a number of instructions. “I give 15 days to the ministers of Nature Protection, Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources, in cooperation with the Public Services Regulatory Commission, to submit proposals to the National Water Council on the current situation in the field of water use permits and operating licenses granted to small hydropower plants. Specifically,
1. On revision of the small hydropower plants development scheme as approved at the Cabinet meeting of January 22, 2009 under Protocol Decision 3.
2. On the expediency of issuing new water use permits for construction of new hydropower plants in the basins of the rivers Akhurian, Dzoraget-Debed, Azat, Arpa, Vorotan.
3. We need to understand the tariff policy in the field of new pricing mechanisms for small hydropower plants in order to mitigate the environmental problems.
I think we all understand the meaning of my assignment. In any case, we mat have environmental problems on those rivers, where we have planned more hydropower plants than it probably should have been. I think there are solutions, namely applying restrictions on water use permit. The Ministry of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources is expected to address the matter in a way that no problems could arise associated with energy security. We have river basins with excessive small hydro power plants density, and there is a problem.”
The Prime Minister next referred to his instruction on the reduced number of government agencies. The Minister of Agriculture was told to submit a draft resolution within a week’s time on the dissolution of the State Inspectorate of Agricultural Machinery.
In order to attract investments in the mining industry by removing the existing barriers, Karen Karapetyan instructed the Minister of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources to explore the international experience within a month’s period and submit recommendations on the possibility of granting a land use right along with the mining permit.
“What is the point? After getting mining-related permits, businesses face numerous problems associated with the use of the land,” the Premier stressed, adding that it is necessary to regulate this field.
State support will be provided in accordance with the government resolution to the families of 37 Armenian nationals who were killed or injured in the Moscow-Yerevan passenger bus accident that occurred 6km off the Russian town of Beslan in North Ossetia on October 14, 2016. The decision provides that AMD10 million will be allocated from the government’s reserve fund.
The families of killed passengers will get AMD1.5 million each. 700 thousand drams will be allocated to those still undergoing medical treatment in the hospitals of Republic of Armenia and the Russian Federation, while the ones having received medical care shall be entitled to AMD200 thousand each. All the other passengers will receive 100 thousand drams. The decision also provides for the return to the Republic of Armenia of those passengers under treatment in RF hospitals by covering the transportation costs.
Pursuant to the directive of the Prime Minister to launch a reform process, the government passed relevant decisions according to some public services will be delegated to non-governmental organizations. These non-public entities - Haypost, Ardshinbank, Ameriabank and Converse Bank – will henceforth fulfill the functions of public service providing offices.
The decision entrusts the government-authorized operators - the real estate cadastre, the state register of legal entities – with the task of processing movable property-related State fee for services provided rights, registration authority and imposition of other charges provided for by law, as well as the necessary documents for services rendered acceptance, transportation and delivery of documents in the application where the list is not complete, to present a proposal to supplement, if necessary, providing advice to the applicant, the applicant shall ensure that the transfer function of the act adopted as a result of administration.
The reform aims to facilitate access to public services for those citizens domiciled in remote, rural areas who will not be forced to get to Yerevan or a regional center for these issues and resolve their problems.
Under another decision, money will be allocated to reimburse the tuition of Syrian Armenian students. According to the reference note, 400 out of some 500 Syrian Armenian students need settling their tuition fees in the Republic of Armenia.
