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

The Government approved the Economic Response Program and the relevant Action Plan, the need for which is based on the 9th (overcoming COVID-19 and eliminating its consequences) and 10th (reinstatement of the economic environment) paragraphs of the roadmap published by the Prime Minister of Armenia on November 18, 2020.

According to Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan, the program sets priorities, goals and the scope of anti-crisis measures until the end of the first half of 2021. The Deputy Prime Minister noted that the program defines three main priorities: restoring economic activity, ensuring reliable business and consumer environments and developing a mid-term economic policy agenda.

“The program incorporates 12 targeted activities and 14 assistance programs. The targeted activities are based for instance on such conditions as are necessary for growing and processing new crops with high added value, as well as activating a number of construction programs, such as “33rd District,” “Kond,” “Old Yerevan,” etc. It is also planned to improve the management of state property, in particular, to speed up the alienation of some pieces of state property,” the Deputy Prime Minister said, noting that the overall goal of the program will be to increase the budget forecast of GDP by 1 percentage point.

The government has amended the relevant decision of April 8, 2010, which sets new State standards in the general education sphere. The proposed amendments seek to solve existing problems and provide an appropriate basis for creating a more flexible content. In particular, the State Standard of General Education will determine the expected abilities (competencies) of a graduate of the main program of general secondary education. It is also proposed to revise the quality requirements for graduates and build them on the basis of abilities.

The meeting approved the draft laws “On the rights of persons with disabilities,” “On assessing the functionality of a person,” “On amending the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Republic of Armenia,” “On Amending the Administrative Procedure Code of the Republic of Armenia.” The bill provides for a transition from a model for determining disability to a model for assessing functionality, which will allow for a comprehensive assessment of a person’s needs, consider disability according to the degree of limited functionality of a person and the influence of environmental factors on his activities.

The government approved a procedure for psychological rehabilitation of persons who participated in the hostilities unleashed by the Republic of Azerbaijan on September 27, 2020. This stems from the 7th paragraph of the roadmap published by the Prime Minister of Armenia on November 18, 2020. The program is due to be implemented not only in Armenia, but also in Artsakh. Several social groups are targeted, including parents and family members of missing persons or prisoners of war, people kept in captivity, etc.

The Cabinet next approved a program of assistance for those individuals who used to be domiciled, or used to actually live without registration in such houses in Shurnukh and Vorotan communities of Syunik Marz of Armenia as subsequently came under Azerbaijan’s control.

The government passed a decision “On application of paper versions of cargo customs declarations for express cargo.” Accordingly, it is envisaged to use simplified forms of the paper version of the customs declaration for commodity and passenger express cargo before the launch of the system of automated customs declarations.