Changes Made to Social Program for Artsakh Residents

The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs has been implementing several programs to support our compatriots forcibly displaced from Artsakh. One of them is related to providing short-term training courses and support for gaining work experience for individuals displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023. The third component of this program stated that the ministry organizes professional training for beneficiaries for a period of up to 6 months, during which it pays a maximum of 50,000 drams monthly for tuition reimbursement and an additional scholarship of 50,000 drams.

A businessman from Artsakh approached ABCmedia to clarify whether this program is functioning properly or if changes have been made. According to him, he applied to the ministry to take advantage of the program. The ministry informed him that a so-called 'internal order' change had been made.

In response to ABCmedia's inquiry, the ministry indicated that a change was made to decision N 57-L concerning the organization of short-term training courses and the provision of assistance for gaining work experience for individuals forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh, on June 20th.

The Artsakh businessman mentioned in our conversation that the ministry rejected his request to pay wages for his relative who works for him for a period of 3 months. The ministry responded: 'Contracts for the implementation of state programs cannot be signed between family members (close relatives) based on the instruction given by the Prosecutor General's Office to the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of the Republic of Armenia,' as stated in the official response.