ArmInfo. National Assembly of Armenia at December 14 session adopted in second reading the. The Law on Compensation of Life and Health Loss to Military Service Men Defending the Republic of Armenia, and the package of supporting documents. According to Vigen Sargsyan, the Defense Minister, the families of the killed and first degree diabled individuals will receive a onetime compensation of 10 million AMD.
The families of the second degree handicapped servicemen will receive a onetime compensation of 5 million AMD. Monthly compensations in case of death of the serviceman or the first degree handicap will make 300,000 AMD for the officers, 250,000 AMD for the junior officers and 200,000 for the privates. In case of becoming the second degree handicap, the compensations will respectively make 200,000; 150,000; and 100,000 AMD. That amount, in the form of insurance benefit, will be paid out for 20 years, which will make 82 million AMD for the officers, 70 million AMD for the junior officer staff, and 58 million AMD for the privates. The program will be financed through a special fund to which every working person will monthly contribute one thousand AMD. Sargsyan says the events of April 2016 showed that it is impossible to cover the compensations needed is impossible only with the budget assets. That is why an appropriate fund will be established, and every employed citizen will be charged with AMD 1000 compulsory fee to that Fund. The Fund will be administrated by the Government, Central Bank of Republic of Armenia and the Board of Trustees. The Central Bank will administrate the Fund free of charge for five years. Families having members at military service will be released of this charge.
The Minister clarified to lawmakers the essence of the Draft Law on AMD 1000 charges for all employed nationals. Answering the question regarding the initiative on voluntary but not compulsory charging, the Minister mentioned the "Martik" fund. I have studied the reports, and I must say that the picture is pretty sad, because the number of charity payments made during long years of fund work, formed only 7000, and the total amount makes USD 1,2 mln, the Minister stated. According to the Minister's words, a single cent have not been spent from that amount. The money is in the bank and the dividends are spent to satisfy militaries' families needs. The Minister accentuated also that the AMD 1000 initiative allows al the nationals to participate in militaries support programs. And that support will be not of spontaneous, but of permanent character. " This Law is a step forward and is aimed at the expansion of other issues," Vigen Sargsyan said. What is to the retroactive effect of the law, Vigen Sargsyan mentioned that if additional amounts will be attracted to this fund, it will become possible to provide help also to the families of those militaries, who have perished or have been wounded in the past. " It will become possible if we succeed with other, additional payments over those estimated," Sargsyan said.