Government to Expand Assistance Measures for Utility Payments

Discussions regarding programs aimed at neutralizing the effects of the coronavirus continue at the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Central Bank President Arthur Javadyan has provided information on the progress of the first and second anti-crisis measures of an economic nature. It was noted that out of the 1,176 applications submitted for the first program, 296 have already been approved, with a total volume reaching 24.9 billion drams. The funds have been directed by businesses towards salary payments, utility bills, tax payments, and the procurement and import of raw materials and new equipment.

In the framework of the second measure, an agricultural application worth 8.5 billion drams has been approved for 6,729 applications. Following this, the possibility of further assistance in the area of social welfare, particularly regarding utility payments, was addressed. A beneficial exchange of ideas took place, presenting various arguments, observations, and proposals.

As a result of the discussions, Prime Minister Pashinyan has instructed to expand the assistance measures related to electricity, gas, and water payment assistance and to prepare a draft governmental decision accordingly.