Narek Karapetyan comments on new pension hikes 

ArmInfo. Armenian authorities have increased pensions because they felt a threat, Narek  Karapetyan, a Board member of the "Strong Armenia" party, told reporters on February 25.

According to him, the country's state budget did not include a plan  for raising pensions. "We consider this a victory; we are glad that  after so many years, a pension increase has finally occurred. At  last, there is a positive change for the people," Karapetyan noted,  adding that it wasn't a planned policy, but  a response to pressure  from the opposition.

Karapetyan recalled that in 2021, government officials promised in  their pre-election statements that the national pension should be  60,000 drams. Even with the influx of financial resources following  the Russia- Ukraine conflict, pensions hovered around 49, 000 AMD.  Therefore, they failed to fulfill their promises. He noted that while  the new 10,000 AMD increase is a "good sign," it still falls short of  the original 60,000 AMD target. "It would be even better if  officials' bonuses were reduced and the savings were used for a more  significant pension increase."