Why the Construction and Renovation of Schools Funded by International Loans Was Delayed: Terteryan Responds

The construction and renovation of schools funded by international loans has been delayed due to the absence of modern seismic safety norms in Armenia, along with the failure to adhere to basic safety regulations at construction sites. This was stated by Vahe Terteryan, the Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures of Armenia, during a meeting of the Financial, Credit and Budgetary Affairs Committee of the National Assembly.

According to him, nearly all the schools that were scheduled for renovation were found during detailed expert assessments to require complete reconstruction.

The construction and renovation of seismic-resistant schools in Armenia has been carried out since 2016 with a loan from the Asian Development Bank. The total budget for the project is $107 million. The project aims to renovate or build from scratch 46 schools; however, work has only been completed on 16 schools to date, and another 20 are currently under construction. In November 2023, the Armenian government signed an additional financing agreement with the bank for 66.1 million euros, which has now been submitted for ratification by the National Assembly.

“It cannot be overlooked that construction was significantly behind schedule in the initial years, as the construction industry was not ready for projects of this level,” emphasized Terteryan.

According to the Deputy Minister, modern construction standards did not exist in Armenia in 2016. Local companies attempted to develop such projects based on their experience and knowledge, but these projects did not pass international expert evaluation.

“Now our builders are required to wear uniforms, and this is the first time we have established such a requirement within the framework of this program. Over the years, we have struggled to overcome the established perceptions within the business community that it’s possible to manage without all of this,” Terteryan stated.

“We need to learn how to build schools; until now, we did not know how,” said Prime Minister Pashinyan.

He noted that international experts invited under the loan program were bringing back photographs from construction sites documenting all these shortcomings.

With the additional 66.1 million euros agreement, according to Terteryan, the construction and renovation of the specified schools is expected to be fully completed within the coming year.