The Government held a regular meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Before discussing the meeting’s agenda, the Prime Minister evoked the epidemiological situation in Armenia. Taking the opportunity, he urged citizens to continue observing the prescribed safety rules with as much vigilance as before.

The Government passed a decision on the procedure to follow in providing compensation for utility bills - gas, electricity and water - to single pensioners living in social housing estate. According to the reference note, more than 250 people are residents of social housing estate; 74 of them are single pensioners.

The utility compensation will be provided in a non-cash manner. Estimates show that each lonely pensioner living in social housing spends an average of 12 thousand drams on utility bills (gas, water and electricity altogether), which makes 144 thousand drams a year. As a result, the social condition of lonely pensioners will be mitigated, since the latter will be able to spend these funds on meeting other vital needs.

The Government next decided that the 0.03724 hectare-wide plot of land belonging to the Republic of Armenia and assigned to the State Property Management Committee at 22/1 Nahapet Street in Berd town of Tavush province shall be handed over from Berd’s High School to the Simonyan Educational Foundation for free use. The Foundation will use this site for implementation of the “Tumo in the Palm” educational program to create a mobile Tumo center. Note that the above project is part of the Tumo Centers for Creative Technologies Program.

Nikol Pashinyan highlighted the project, especially as a means to develop border settlements. “In general, we are discussing strategies for the development of border communities and settlements. One thing is clear: all our strategies feature a mandatory component - education. I am convinced that we cannot succeed in implementing any strategy without an educational component. Indeed, Tumo’s appearance in the Berd region is extremely important,” the Premier said and went on to remind that a Tumo center is being set up in Koghb community.

Under another government decision, the state-owned buildings and other facilities to a total area of 9905.21 sq. m at Orbeli Street 23, Arabkir, as well as two plots of land, 3.302955 hectare-wide and 0.004359 hectare-wide respectively, will be alienated on a competitive basis. The above sites and buildings are currently assigned to the State Property Management Committee of the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure.

The Government amended a decision, which regulates the relations arising from the implementation of the Housing for Orphanage Graduates project. According to preliminary estimates, the project will have some 300 beneficiaries. A decision has already been made concerning 133 beneficiaries: they have received certificates for the purchase of apartments, and about 50 of them have already purchased apartments. Over the next week, the issue of providing certificates to 22 graduates will be submitted for discussion to the relevant committee of the ministry. Applications submitted by more than 130 beneficiaries were rejected for various reasons. Having considered all applications, the Ministry offered to provide certificates to 24 beneficiaries on an exceptional basis.

Nikol Pashinyan emphasized that providing education to children from orphanages is the State’s biggest commitment. “We are obviously solving another problem, but I would like to draw attention to the fact that orphanage leavers should get such a quality education as would allow them to make their living with their own work. Unfortunately, we can often see people get stumped after graduating from orphanages. I expect that we will have a completely new focus in the field of solving educational issues of children from orphanages,” the Prime Minister said.