If We Increase Pensions by 20,000 Dram, the House Will Still Not Be Heated: Pashinyan

Recently, I had a conversation with one of our esteemed pensioners that left a strong impression on me. He mentioned that he receives a pension of 50,000 dram or more, out of which 27,000-28,000 dram is spent on heating his home, yet the house still remains cold. He argued that the government needs to increase pensions so he can afford to heat his home. I began to investigate this situation at a specific address. This was stated by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during a government meeting.

“I noted that if we increase the pension by 20,000 dram, that same citizen will spend not 27,000 dram on electricity and heating, but 35,000 dram; however, the house will still not be heated, because there are numerous issues with the house, starting from the windows and doors to the walls,” he indicated.

The Prime Minister said that to heat their homes, citizens should aim to spend less, about 18,000 dram, and invest in upgrading their homes so that they are fully energy-efficient. “If we make the proper investments, we will have warmer and more comfortable dwelling places. This is the meaning of energy transformation, which is a very complex topic, requiring serious research, analytical, and intellectual work to plan and implement,” added Pashinyan.