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Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that economic and social assistance programs remain a primary topic discussed in these days in his cabinet.

“Our approach is that any assistance should be targeted. In my career of a reporter I had shown on numerous occasions that under certain emotional conditions the ones who really needed support couldn’t benefit while those who need no support made use of the situation. That is why all our actions in providing a social and economic assistance should be targeted,” Pashinyan stated on Wednesday during Q/A session at parliament

Asked about the possibility of delay of utility payments, the PM said the decision should be targeted as well since the state continues paying the salaries. “Why should the utility payment be delayed for public employees? The same for the socially secure people,” said Pashinyan, adding, no changes have taken place in the life of socially vulnerable people since those who received state subsidies would continue receiving them.

“No changes in the prices of the goods are observed as well. The Commandant has been in contact and arranged that no disruptions will be in utility services. There is an agreement with Gazprom Armenia. Why didn’t we initiate this process earlier? The reason is we expected some would take this as a pretext to not pay their bills,” said Pashinyan.