President holds consultation to discuss socio-economic situation and marz priorities of Shirak

President Serzh Sargsyan held a consultation today with the Shirak marzpet and the marzpetaran staff to discuss the socio-economic situation in Shirak for 2014 and for the first half-year of 2015, as well as to talk about the current problems and development programs.

“I ask you, Mr. marzpet, that in your report on the socio-economic situation in Shirak Marz, to dwell upon the status of those systemic programs which could have a positive impact on Shirak’s large economic branches. Particularly, concerning the agricultural sphere, I would like to know about your preliminary works to restore the Kaps reservoir, and how intensively and effectively pastures are irrigated.

Especially for Gyumri’s part, I would like to have news about the work that is being done with investors. The experience of the last months shows that we are obliged to quickly finalize the list of all those unusable buildings and areas which could easily become manufacturing buildings. This means inventorization all of that because when we have finances and programs, long search for such buildings is inadmissible, which naturally does not make it more attractive to investors, and we are obliged to try our best to ensure more investments.

I would also like to enquire about the status of restoration of Gyumri’s streets. We are ready to put additional efforts in that. The same is about the fate of the newly-built apartments. I want to know whether those numerous apartments are fully inhabited or not, whether people already own that property or not, because the question has a second part: as a result of that, unusable cabins have been taken out, removed from the city, which will allow for new construction on one hand, and will have a great effect on the appearance on the other hand.

Of course, I am fully aware of all the educational and healthcare programs, but here I would also like to emphasize two circumstances. Firstly, how does the hospital operate, and secondly, what other opportunities can you provide for Shirak’s athletes, because they have good, brilliant results, and it is our duty to improve their conditions as well.

I ask you to also speak about the programs, initiatives and problems which you are presently concerned about,” said President Serzh Sargsyan at the beginning of the consultation.

Marzpet Felix Tsolakyan thoroughly presented both the finished and ongoing works being done in Shirak Marz per directions mentioned by the RA president and per separate spheres and approved programs.

During the consultation, Ashot Kirakosyan, Executive Director of the Armenian Territorial Development Fund (ATDF), reported on the investments to be made in marz communities envisioned by the fund’s first component.

At the end of the consultation, President Serzh Sargsyan gave a number of instructions. Particularly, the RA economy minister was instructed to take active support measures together with the Shirak marzpet to fulfill the agreements made with ArmSwissBank on the development of the business climate in the marz, getting actively engaged in the process of the development of business programs envisioned by bank’s financial support mechanism and of the introduction of those programs to the bank, guided by clear and predictable priorities to create jobs through broadening of companies’ capabilities and to encourage export. At the same time, it was instructed to discuss the opportunity of applying other financial support tools to push forward business programs selected in the aforementioned way.

The Shirak marzpet was instructed to inventorize manufacturing and other areas corresponding to the requirements of the mentioned business programs, presenting the gathered data to the RA Ministry of Economy.

The chief of the government staff-minister and the head of the State Property Management Department were instructed to take measures, guided by the need to develop education and information technologies in Gyumri and to enlarge Tumo Center, and, at the same time, restore the historical-cultural building of Gyumri’s former People’s House, to present to the RA government for approval the respective draft of the RA government decree on the program to create new educational and cultural Tumo Center in Gyumri envisioned by the agreement with the Simonian Foundation and to rapidly carry out the legal and contractual procedures stemming from it.

The Shirak marzpet was instructed to recommend the Gyumri mayor to rule out the construction or installation of temporary buildings on the territory of the park located next to the former People’s House, a historical-cultural monument situated on 1 Shchors, Gyumri, reconciling the legal solutions to the long-term maintenance of the mentioned territories with the Simonian Foundation.

With the aim of fully renovating and constructing some marz educational, cultural and sports objects, and developing infrastructures of separate vulnerable communities, ATDF Executive Director Ashot Kirakosyan was instructed to initiate a process of developing design documents for the programs enlisted in the urgent program list presented during the report, as well as a process of competitive procurement of construction works, during further programs showing the same preference to the urgent construction works of community schools and their gymnasiums, as well as of primary schools presented by LSGB.

With the aim of broadening the gasification network of marz communities, and of meeting the demands of possible subscribers living in high mountainous regions, the RA energy and natural resources minister was instructed to examine, together with the RA Shirak marzpet, the volumes of necessary investments to be made in communities in need for gasification, presenting the respective technical-economic calculations based on the exact number of possible subscribers to the RA government and Gazprom Armenia CJSC with a view to include it in investment priorities.

With the aim of improving the recycling chain of livestock products and ensuring food security in Shirak Marz, the RA agriculture minister was instructed to discuss the opportunity of rendering full assistance to the construction of modern slaughterhouses in Shirak Marz within the frames of the upcoming programs to be implemented by the RA Ministry of Agriculture, presenting the respective proposals to the RA government for approval.

With the aim of continuously improving the mechanisms for protection of agricultural arable lands from natural disasters, the RA minister of territorial administration and emergency situations was instructed to take measures to enlarge the coverage of anti-hail systems in Shirak Marz and raise the effectiveness of their management, presenting assessments on appropriate financial resources to the RA government for discussion.