Thursday, March 7 2019 13:26

ArmInfo.The government of Armenia at its meeting on March 7 approved the draft amendments to the law "On the structure of the government" and in a package of  related documents. The package in the prescribed manner will be  presented to the parliament of the country.

According to RA Minister of Justice Artak Zeinalyan, the presented  package is aimed at improving the efficiency of the state management,  the successful implementation of government programs and the state's  policy. He also stressed that the bills were the result of lengthy  discussions and research, including international experience. It is  planned, in particular, to maintain the posts of two deputy prime  ministers instead of three  deputies. In particular, the post of   first deputy prime minister will be cut. Of the 18 ministries, 12  will remain. Thus, the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs, the  Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Education and Science are united  into one structure - the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture.  The Ministry of Agriculture will be included in the Ministry of  Economy into one single organization - the Ministry of Economy of the  Republic of Armenia. The Ministry of Energy Infrastructures and  Natural Resources will join the Ministry of Territorial  Administration and Development into a single structure - the Ministry  of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures. The functions of  this department will also include all issues related to transport.  The new department will include a water management committee, a civil  aviation committee and a state property management committee. The  Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology will  be renamed the Ministry of High-tech Industry with the exception of  transport-related functions and the inclusion of functions related to  the digital economy and the military-industrial complex. In the  future, it is planned that the functions of the committee of the  military-industrial complex will pass to this state structure. The  Institute of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs under the  office of the prime minister will operate instead of the Ministry of  Diaspora. It is envisaged that the staffing positions will move to  the new departments, except for political and conceptual posts, as  well as posts that overlap. In addition, when transferring a civil  servant from one department to another, it is possible that the  position is down-graded or paid less. If civil servant  refuses from  such conditions  he/she will be transferred to the reserve.

Thus, as noted by Artak Zeynalyan, the following departments will  operate in the system of state administration:  1. Ministry of  Foreign Affairs 2. Ministry of Defense 3. Ministry of Emergency  Situations 4. Ministry of Justice 5. Ministry of Labor and Social  Affairs 6. Ministry of Education, Science and Culture 7. Ministry of  Nature Protection 8. Ministry of Healthcare 9. Ministry of Finance  10. Ministry of Economy 11. Ministry of Territorial Administration  and Infrastructures 12. Ministry of High Technology Industry Prime  Minister Nikol Pashinyan noted that the main goal of the reforms in  the system is to increase management efficiency. At the same time,  there will be no personnel pogroms, but priority will be given to the  best highly professional employees. "Yes, there will be reductions,  but they will be carried out in an evolutionary way, and each  employee will get a chance," the head of government stressed, also  pointing out the importance of a balanced and objective approach to  personnel matters. He added that today's decision is of an interim  nature, and in the future some changes are not excluded.