Saturday, 14 March 2020
Government holds consultation on countering the economic impact of coronavirus
On March 14, 2020, a consultative meeting on the development of a policy package of counteraction against the negative consequences of the novel coronavirus was held in the Office of Government, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan.
Addressing the meeting, the Deputy Premier said:
“As you may know, in addition to damaging human lives and health, a new type of coronavirus is threatening the global economy. In particular, it affects Armenia’s tourism sector, which is natural. Today we will discuss the proposals made by the government agencies concerned. I hope we can complete an action plan that will allow us to prevent and mitigate the consequences to some extent in a very short time, as well as create opportunities in the future.
Besides socio-economic issues, I would also like to inform you about the work being done on a 24-hour basis. All of you have already been informed about the new coronavirus cases, which are limited to those individuals quarantined following the well-known engagement party.
A single crisis headquarters is being formed, involving representatives from the Ministry of Healthcare, law-enforcement agencies and health inspectors, to carry out identification and search operations. Our office, the Ministry of Healthcare and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be working on a daily basis.”
The speakers dwelt on the need to identify and assess the potential impacts on Armenia’s economy to the fullest extent possible. Reference was made to various socio-economic incentives and tools depending on different developments scenarios.
A number of proposals and recommendations were voiced during the exchange of views that followed. It was decided that an economic task force should be formed under the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to work on a daily basis and develop a set of coordinated action.
