Products Increase by 30%, Pension Raised by 8% - Is This Considered an Increase? MP Asks Minister

The consumer basket has increased by 30%, while the minimum pension has grown by only 8%. Is this considered a raise in pensions? Armenuhy Kuryan, an MP from the 'Armenia' faction, raised this question during discussions on the state budget in the permanent committees of the National Assembly.

The MP inquired whether this does not represent a step back, and whether we will be able to achieve the alignment of the minimum consumer basket and pension by 2026 at this pace.

Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Narek Mkrtchyan assured that efforts would be made to achieve the targets set in the government program. “Despite passing through numerous crises, it is still possible to see works, directions, and spending in every sector that essentially speak to the government’s efforts. We have targets specified in the government program, and it is not mandatory to reach that 85,000 dram mark by 2022 or 2023; we will gradually increase it,” the minister stated.