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At December 8 sitting, the parliament resumed the debate of the draft law on the RA State Budget for 2022.

The representatives of the NA factions and Standing Committees presented views related to the basic financial document of the next year.

Tigran Abrahamyan gave a speech on behalf of the RA NA With Honor Faction. The deputy underlined that the reform program of the armed forced in the post-war period was not approved, so the reforms in the sphere were not reflected in the draft budget. According to the speaker, the analysis of the military budget and the study of measures aimed at the security system show that no visible action is planned for next year.

Voicing the viewpoint of the RA NA Armenia Faction, Artur Khachatryan noted: “The forecast of 7% economic growth is unrealistic. Security challenges and social problems are ignored.” As the deputy has observed, the presented document has a political orientation.

According to Chair of the NA Standing Committee on Regional and Eurasian Integration Armen Gevorgyan, the document does not contain an analysis of the impact of general macroeconomic development trends within the framework of the EAEU on the budget processes of our country. “We are members of the Customs Union, and the situation related to the general trade turnover of the organization with the third countries can have an impact on the general situation of the customs entries to the budget of our country,” the deputy underlined.

The Chair of the NA Standing Committee on Financial-Credit and Budgetary Affairs Gevorg Papoyan, referring to the observations of the opposition colleagues that the allocations of some spheres decreased in the draft budget noted: “The allocations of the defense system increased by 11%, and the national security system – by 23%. The growth of the allocations to the sphere of science will promote the development of the sphere by 89%,” the deputy underlined. He noted that the Committee endorsed the document and called on his colleagues to vote in favor of it.

In his final speech, the RA Minister of Finance touched upon the deputies’ questions, observations and gave clarifications. Tigran Khachatryan called on the MPs to approve the state draft budget of the next year, giving the Government an opportunity to carry out the programmes that are presented by the document.