A Cabinet meeting was held today, chaired by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

The meeting first approved the government’s legislative initiative on the package of draft laws on amending the RA law On Government Organization and Activities, and a number of related laws. The package will allow the government to work in a more optimal and efficient format. In particular, it is proposed to reduce the number of vice-premiers by calling off the post of first deputy prime minister, as well as to reduce the number of ministries to 12.

In particular, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs, the Ministry of Education and Science will be merged into the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport. The Ministry of Diaspora will be incorporated with the Prime Minister’s Office, where the Office of High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs will be set up. At the same time, the discretionary post of High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs will be created in the Office of the Prime Minister. The High Commissioner will develop and coordinate a unified policy in the relations with the Diaspora.

Touching on this issue, Nikol Pashinyan noted: “Yesterday I referred to this issue in the National Assembly, but I consider it necessary to emphasize once again that our main task is to increase efficiency in public administration, including the relations with the Diaspora, because today we see serious problems in two ways. We will abide by a very balanced and seamless stance, and I want to state that we will not resort to the so-called staff cleansing in this process.”

The government approved the legislative initiative of the government on draft laws on introducing amendments and additions to the Tax Code of the Republic of Armenia and a number of related laws. The package of bills suggests restoring the VAT threshold valid until January 1, 2019 at the level of annual turnover in the amount of 115 million drams, raise the tax threshold for self-employed people as of January 1, 2019 from 9 million to 24 million drams, raise the tax threshold for family business from 18 million drams to 24 million drams, and to simplify the taxation base for small businesses, starting from January 1, 2020,.

The government passed a number of decisions aimed at improving the agrarian sector, in particular, it approved a program of subsidizing interest rates on agricultural loans, a program of co-financing the introduction of modern irrigation systems.

The government adopted a relevant decision in a bid to ensure broader access to the targeted state program for young families in need of improved housing.