The Issue of Artsakh Residents' Accumulated Pensions Remains Unresolved

The newspaper "Zhoghovurd" reports that the prolonged issue of accumulated pensions has become a real burden for the forcibly displaced residents of Artsakh. Since 2019, the fate of their accumulated pension funds remains uncertain, while the relevant authorities continue to stall the issue for various reasons, leaving many Artsakh residents facing social problems unable to access the funds they are entitled to.

Earlier this year, during extraordinary sessions in February and March, the Artsakh parliament made relevant amendments to the law on "Accumulated Pensions" to allow Artsakh residents who wish to access their accrued funds earlier to do so as needed. On June 11, the Armenian parliament also passed a bill during extraordinary sessions to transfer the accumulated pension savings formed in the Artsakh system to pension funds operating in Armenia.

However, Artsakh residents have long been unable to retrieve these funds and are reaching out to various authorities, yet the issue continues to be passed around without resolution. According to Gegham Stepanyan, the Human Rights Defender of Artsakh, this concerns approximately 17 billion drams and about 34,500 beneficiaries.

According to "Zhoghovurd," recently Artsakh lawmakers discussed the situation with opposition lawmakers from Armenia to seek a solution in parliament. In a conversation with us, Artsvik Minasyan, the secretary of the "Hayastan" faction, stated that they plan to present a legislative initiative to address the issue and enable Artsakh residents to receive the funds they are entitled to. If the ruling Civil Contract party rejects it, which is highly likely, the opposition will appeal to the Constitutional Court.