Details on Compensation Under Declaration

A universal declaration system for individuals is being introduced in phases in the Republic of Armenia, accompanied by a system for social expenditures/social credits incurred by individuals. This system envisions specific compensation in two major areas: education and healthcare.

This was discussed at a press conference held today at the ArmePress news agency by Araxia Svajyan, Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, and Arman Poghosyan, Deputy Minister of Finance. The theme of the conference was 'Universal Declaration: Opportunities for Social Credit Refunds.'

'The essence of the system is that individuals who pay income tax can receive compensation for social expenses from that income tax,' stated Arman Poghosyan, Deputy Minister of Finance.

On Extracurricular Services

Regarding the fields in the Ministry of Education and Science, Deputy Minister Araxia Svajyan noted that compensation for social expenditures applies to both formal and informal education. 'As for formal education, it was also operational last year, covering tuition fee reimbursements for students in higher education institutions, vocational schools, as well as private schools and kindergartens. With the new amendment, the informal education component has also been added, which includes extracurricular services, art schools, creative arts, dance schools, and sports schools. We have 142 sports schools where more than 37,000 children receive sports education, as well as 238 art schools or community centers attended by around 55,000 children. There is no guarantee requirement for state or community educational institutions. This pertains to organizations providing extracurricular services that must submit their programs to the Ministry of Education and Science for approval as per the Minister's directive. After the application, the program will be sent for examination, and upon positive results, it will be guaranteed,' Araxia Svajyan informed.

Individuals or legal entities implementing educational programs can also apply to the education authority to guarantee their programs based on the basic requirements presented for the program. No expenses are stipulated for the guarantee.

On Non-formal Educational Programs for Adults

Being guaranteed is also a mandatory requirement for non-formal educational programs for adults, following the same procedure. 'As of December 31, 2024, there are 116 non-formal programs available. The newly established regulation states that the program guarantee requirement should be presented at the time of reimbursement, meaning that if citizens have received services from any organization that has not applied for a guarantee, they can still apply for it during this period. In case of a positive conclusion, we will swiftly resolve the matter so that citizens have the opportunity for reimbursement,' stated Araxia Svajyan.

The deputy minister also announced that only non-cash payments made in 2024 will be eligible for compensation. 'We believe that our citizens will take this into account for 2025 and make non-cash payments.' She emphasized another important point: the newly adopted regulation establishes a procedure for textbook reimbursement, providing a reimbursement opportunity of 3,000 drams for each child in grades 5-12. To facilitate the process, the relevant data will be transmitted to the State Revenue Committee. It should be noted that elementary school textbooks are funded from the state budget.

How to Know if the Organization's Program is Guaranteed?

In response to this question, Araxia Svajyan informed: 'Soon, we will have a section on the Ministry of Education and Science's website, where subsections will distinctly separate extracurricular services and non-formal educational programs, listing guaranteed organizations. This way, citizens will be informed about these organizations and can take advantage of social expense reimbursement programs.'