Wednesday, March 7 2018 15:16

ArmInfo.The future Prime Minister of Armenia will manage the country from Bagramyan 26 - the residence of the current head of state, and the future president will  carry out his activities from the Government House along Mashtots Street. Corresponding amendments to the law "On Social Guarantees, Servicing and Supporting the Activities of Persons Occupying Public Positions" were approved at the parliament session on March 7 in the second and final reading.

Presenting the draft amendments, RA Minister of Justice David  Harutyunyan noted that the document established the size of the  reserve fund for the president, prime minister and parliament  speaker. For the president, the size of the fund will be 75 million  drams, for the prime minister - 150 million drams, for the speaker of  the National Assembly - 50 million drams. Provision is made for staff  units to work in the apparatus of the President and the Prime  Minister. Thus, 180 people will work in the office of the president,  in the apparatus of the prime minister - 600. 

According to the document, the head of the government of the Republic  of Armenia for the purpose of maintenance is allocated a residence in  Yerevan (Baghramyan 26), a service mansion in Yerevan with the  appropriate service (Dzorapi 74, 3rd building), a state dacha in  Sevan provided with appropriate equipment and services, vehicles  special purpose, specially equipped aircraft and helicopter. In order  to monitor the health of the Prime Minister of the Republic of  Armenia, a personal physician is distinguished. With the permission  of the premier, a specially equipped aircraft and helicopter can also  be used by other high- ranking officials. It is also noted that the  heads of the National Assembly of Armenia and the Constitutional  Court are supposed to have an official mansion in Yerevan. However,  according to the decision of the prime minister, other high-ranking  officials can use this privilege.

The President of the Republic of Armenia, the Prime Minister, the  Chairman of the Parliament, the retired President of RA, and members  of their families at the airports of the Republic have the right to  use the Special Service Hall. This privilege can be used, among other  things, by members of delegations who arrived in Armenia at the  invitation of the president and prime minister of the country. In  some cases, other persons may also exercise the right, in the order  established by the Prime Minister of the country. The activities of  the ex-president's office are financed from the budget (the number of  employees should not exceed 3 staff units). The state budget will  also finance the visits of the ex-president to foreign countries  within 1 year. The total duration of each visit in this case should  not be more than 10 days. The President of the Republic of Armenia,  who has resigned, with the exception of cases of his removal from  office, has the right to a special pension in the amount of 70% of  the monthly salary. This right he will not be able to use for the  period of his election or appointment. Earlier it was reported that  after the coming into force of the constitutional amendments, the  financing of the presidential apparatus of Armenia is planned to be  cut more than twofold. If according to the budget approved for the  2017th year, the total expenditures for the amount of 4 billion 880  million drams were envisaged, then in 2018 the total amount of the  presidential staff is planned at 2 billion 381 million drams.

Under the new Constitution, along with the reduction in the powers of  the president of the country, there was a need for a reduction in the  apparatus that began in the presidential administration in the summer  of the past year: from the beginning of the year 410 employees  worked, from June 1 this number was reduced to 385 people, and from  October 1 - up to 330 people. It should be noted that since April  2018 Armenia has completely switched to a parliamentary form of  government. It is then that the term of office of the current  President Serzh Sargsyan expires. The law comes into force on the day  the newly elected President of the Republic of Armenia takes office.  By this, the law of the Republic of Armenia of March 5, 1996 "On  Remuneration, Servicing the President of the Republic of Armenia and  Ensuring His Security" is ineffective.