At the October 24 regular four-day sitting NA deputies adopted by voting 14 draft laws debated in the previous four-day-sitting after approving the agenda of the sitting and the decision of the National Assembly on Making Addenda on the agenda of the session.

Then the agreement “Program of Rural Enterprises and Small-Scale Trade Agricultural Development” signed between the Republic of Armenia and International Development Association, which presented Davit Lokyan, Minister of Agriculture, was debated.

Highlighting the agreement, NA President Artur Baghdasaryan, expressed his concern about the problem of pledge, noting that it’s possible to create state warrant funds to solve this problem. Otherwise taking the credit will remain the monopoly of the wealthy, as only they will have means of making pledge. Mr. Baghdasaryan also attached importance to the law bank interest rates: the state should provide together with the Central Bank, so that won’t become a development program of the banks, but – the rural enterprises. The speaker conditioned the effectiveness and expedient the program by the awareness on the credit distribution, accessible and application of the principle of equal distribution.

MP Hranush Hakobyan welcomed the approach of the government towards the development of the rural enterprises, the establishment of the council with the aim of the effective use and the involvement of the deputies in that council, finding expedient the state support of the pledge guarantee.

MP Vram Gyulzadyan noticed that hundreds of rural enterprises suffered because of credit high interest and being subjected to natural calamities.

MP Mekhak Mkhitaryan found expedient to make investments for the development of the infrastructures of the high mountainous communities.

MP Alexan Petrosyan highlighted the establishment of the small enterprises re-elaborating the agricultural products and in case of natural calamities the support to the farmer for covering the credit.

MP Samvel Balasanyan noticed that we should create a complex program of the development of rural enterprises and boost the establishment of re-elaborating enterprises by the investment of low interest rates.

The bill “On Making Amendments and Addenda to RA Law ‘On Minimum Monthly Salary’” was debated in the first reading, which presented Aghvan Vardanyan, RA Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, informing that in January 2004 the defined 13.000 AMD will increase by the presented bill in 2.000 AMD, which will increase the expenditure part of the upcoming state budget in 250mln AMD.

MPs Hmayak Hovhanissyan and Aram G. Sargsyan noticed that in the conditions of social polarization and current inflation the increase in 2002AMD won’t solve any problem: to provide the minimum basket of the welfare we should double the current minimum salary.

MPs also debated the bill “On Pre-School Education” presented for the second reading, and the debate of the bill “On Making Amendments and Addenda to RA Law ‘On State Pensions’” will continue at the October 25 sitting.