After the fighting in Karabakh, "1000 AMD" Fund paid compensation to  104 beneficiaries

ArmInfo. After the  hostilities in the zone of the Nagorno- Karabakh conflict, the  Military Insurance Fund ("1000 AMD" Fund) paid compensation to 104  beneficiaries. Director of the Military Insurance Fund Varuzhan  Avetikyan stated about November 24 at a press conference in Yerevan.

According to him, 416 families received compensation before the  hostilities. He also informed that the next meeting of the Fund  Council is scheduled today, at which a decision will be made to  provide compensation to several dozen more families. "In the future,  we plan to provide compensation to several dozen beneficiaries every  week," recalling once again that it is clearly defined who can expect  compensation (parents, children, or the husband / or wife of the  deceased or missing).

He also noted that delays in payments are due to the need for  documentary proof of kinship, which takes time. Avetisyan also said  that now only the families of the deceased receive compensation,  since the wounded must first receive treatment, then, based on the  results of the examination, receive a disabled group.

The director of the fund also said that applications for compensation  must be submitted to the local self- government bodies at the place  of registration, where already trained lawyers collect the necessary  package of documents free of charge and send them to the RA Ministry  of Defense. "If the beneficiaries do not apply to local governments,  then these bodies will go out on their own, who is entitled to  compensation.  Our goal is that no family falls out of this process,  in addition, there are no time limits or validity periods.  Those who  are entitled to compensation can apply also in 3 years, "Avetisyan  said.  He reminded once again that the families of killed or missing  servicemen, as well as those with disabilities of the first group,  are provided with a one-time aid in the amount of 10 million drams,  and then for 20 years or 240 months, monthly from 200 to 300 thousand  drams are allocated, the military those with the second group of  disabilities receive a lump sum payment of 5 million and from 100 to  200 thousand drams.  Referring to the initiative to double payments,  Avetisyan said that they there are many applications from employers  who have declared willingness to increase payments to the Fund. He  stressed again the need to increase payments to the Fund in order to  compensate damage to those who died during the war.  Avetisyan also  found it difficult to name the number of those killed and wounded  during this war, adding that they are in the thousands.

It is also worth noting that a member of the board of trustees of the  foundation Mesrop Manukyan wrote on his Facebook page that the number  of beneficiaries of the "Military Insurance Fund" increased sharply  by about 8000 (killed and military personnel with disabilities of the  1st and 2nd groups). At the same time, he said, at the same time,  ministers and deputies received prizes with enviable consistency, and  even today they continue to fight for their prizes. "The fund lacks  funds to pay initial, one-off benefits (at the moment, the fund has  accumulated about 32 billion drams, but only about 70 billion drams  are required for a one-time compensation). Despite the fact that the  fund is insured against such a situation, no steps are taken to solve  the problem, "Manukyan noted.

It should be reminded that earlier a bill was submitted to the RA  government to increase the mandatory contributions to the Fund from  AMD 1,000 to AMD 3,000. This initiative caused a controversial  reaction in the society.

On December 15, 2016 deputies of the National Assembly of Armenia  with a ratio of 84 votes in favor, 4 against and 1 abstained in the  third and final reading adopted the draft "On compensation for harm  caused to the life or health of servicemen while defending the  Republic of Armenia" with the attached package of draft laws. As the  author of the initiative, already ex-head of the Armenian Ministry of  Defense Vigen Sargsyan, said then, compensation will be paid to the  families of servicemen who died or were injured in hostilities, while  on combat duty on the contact line or when performing special  assignments: from 5 to 10 million drams at a time and monthly - from  200 to 300 thousand drams for 20 years. To implement this, a special  Fund for the Insurance of Military Personnel was created, where every  employed citizen of the Republic of Armenia is obliged to transfer  1000 AMD monthly. The financial resources required for the payment of  compensation by the Fund are also formed from payments in the course  of using the services of state or municipal bodies (500 and 200 drams  for each service); through the sale of special bonds; at the expense  of incoming grants, gifts and donations; at the expense of the profit  received as a result of management (in the form of investments)  collected funds. The law came into force in 2017 and has no  retroactive effect. All operations of the Fund can be tracked on the  website https://www.1000plus.am/ru.