Pashinyan gives green light to implementation of  new Insecurity  Assessment System 

ArmInfo. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan chaired a consultation, during which the draft concept of  the new Insecurity Assessment System was discussed. It was developed by the interdepartmental commission established in 2021 in accordance with the instructions of the Prime Minister.

According to the Prime Minister's press service, before the draft  concept would be presented, Nikol Pashinyan referred to the data  presented at the Cabinet meeting regarding the average monthly salary  and noted. "The average monthly salary in December 2023 was AMD  356,180, which is AMD 133,399 or 59.9 percent more compared to  December 2018, a little lower than I expected. Compared to December  2022, it is more by 25,273 AMD or 7.6 percent."

Presenting the concept of the new Insecurity Assessment System,  Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Anna Zhamakochyan first  presented the problems in the current system of insecurity assessment  related to the formula, addressability and effectiveness of the  system.

Next, the Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs presented  details about the new system's implementation policy, goals, new  formula, and hybrid verification method based on the system.  According to Anna Zhamakochyan, the flaw in the formula of the  current system is that based on the indirect assessment of  vulnerability, assumed insecurity is measured and the calculation of  income plays a secondary role. "The most important thing we need to  change is changing the formula in the new system, that is, not only  the procedures, not only the issue of the target, but the logic of  the formula itself. Taking this into account, the hybrid  means-testing method was chosen as the basis of the new formula. At  the moment, the most important thing is to put the income measurement  in the logic of the formula, so that the real picture of our  insecurity and the estimated insecurity is visible and  understandable, and the policy of the Government is measurable," said  the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs. According to Anna  Zhamakochyan, through the new method, the right to benefit will be  determined based on the family income.  According to Anna  Zhamakochyan, the target of the new system is the extremely poor  family with monthly income below the Minimum Expenditure Basket.  "With this model, it is proposed to target extremely poor groups and  achieve the goal that the Government has set before itself, that is,  to have 0 percent extreme poverty," said the deputy minister.

According to him, through the new system, necessary efforts will also  be made for those registered in the insecurity system to obtain  employment and improve living conditions through capacity  development. According to Anna Zhamakochyan, integrated case  management will be implemented, that is, social work will be  conducted with families based on complex needs.

In terms of encouraging people to work, the Prime Minister emphasized  that there are various programs in the labor market and added. "We  can plan further incentives to increase interest among both the  employer and the employee.  What's the point of what I'm saying? A  person has been in the benefit system for 20 years, and for 20 years  the state spends huge resources for him, but his life does not  improve. This is the problem. We have to approach this program in the  logic of these 20 years, because we can accompany him with subsidies,  income tax, and other programs before the work we mention becomes a  mentality for him."

An exchange of ideas on the draft concept took place, observations  were presented about the process of transition from the old system to  the new system, the steps for launching the new system, the features  of the hybrid method, and the expected results.  Summarizing, the  Prime Minister noted that the results of the discussion show that the  package has been developed and the implementation of the new system  can be started.