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.