Armenian government seeks to raise public sector wages and pensions
08.08.2018,
18:18
Mesrop Arakelyan, an aide to Armenian prime minister, said today that the government was looking into ways to raise public sector salaries and pensions.
YEREVAN, August 8. /ARKA/. Mesrop Arakelyan, an aide to Armenian prime minister, said today that the government was looking into ways to raise public sector salaries and pensions. Speaking at a news conference he said the government just started discussions on the next year budget and would ‘exercise maximum efforts’ to raise salaries and pensions to the proper level.
"The minimum pension of public sector employees is three times less than the average pension in the country. Therefore, much attention will be paid precisely to this problem, by increasing salaries and pensions of vulnerable segments," he added.
In his words, the latest changes made to the Tax Code will have a significant impact on economic agents and primarily on SMEs. "Tax justice can be the tool that will lead to equity in the economy in the long run," he said.
According to the head of the Center for Innovative and Institutional Studies Atom Margaryan, raising salaries and pensions in Armenia is quite possible by means of improved tax collection rate and bringing businesses to net, and also through streamlining the government apparatus and increasing the efficiency of the government spending. In his words, about 30% of the government spending is used irrationally.
According to the National Statistical Committee of Armenia, the minimum wage in the country is 55,000 drams, and the average pension as of July 1, 2018 was 40,195.7 drams. ($ 1 - 481.78 drams). -0-
"The minimum pension of public sector employees is three times less than the average pension in the country. Therefore, much attention will be paid precisely to this problem, by increasing salaries and pensions of vulnerable segments," he added.
In his words, the latest changes made to the Tax Code will have a significant impact on economic agents and primarily on SMEs. "Tax justice can be the tool that will lead to equity in the economy in the long run," he said.
According to the head of the Center for Innovative and Institutional Studies Atom Margaryan, raising salaries and pensions in Armenia is quite possible by means of improved tax collection rate and bringing businesses to net, and also through streamlining the government apparatus and increasing the efficiency of the government spending. In his words, about 30% of the government spending is used irrationally.
According to the National Statistical Committee of Armenia, the minimum wage in the country is 55,000 drams, and the average pension as of July 1, 2018 was 40,195.7 drams. ($ 1 - 481.78 drams). -0-
