Armenian parliament discusses bill on raising minimum pension to 25,500 drams
The Armenian lawmakers are debating the draft law proposing to increase the minimum pension in the country to 25,500 drams (approximately $52) at a sitting on Tuesday.
Presenting the bill on making amendments and supplements to the law on State Pensions to the MPs, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Smbat Saiyan said the new measure proposes to introduce a minimum pension institute in Armenia in an effort to overcome the extreme poverty among pensioners.
According to him, currently a total of 18,000 people in Armenia receive pensions below the extreme poverty threshold.
He said the new measure will lead to an increase of 800 million drams in budgetary expenses. A recalculation will be made immediately after the adoption of the bill and the sums for the first months of 2019 will be paid, he added.