President holds consultation to discuss socio-economic situation and priorities in Tavush

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

The Armenian president noted that such consultations would also take place on the other marzes, and although he had regularly held meetings with Tavush marzpets before, he expected to hear an in-depth report for each area.

« “The reason is very simple. I have noticed that the problems which are addressed, the development trends in the marz, and, moreover, the problems which have not been addressed yet, are not clear and understandable to our citizens in many instances, to the people who are the first beneficiaries of those solutions. Hence, I want you to continue these discussions without me in the marz, especially in big communities so that people can see and reach these problems. I think that the consultation can give a fresh impulse to hold discussions with these ready materials in the near future. Besides, I want you to give some information about the marz problems which are of primary importance. I am especially interested in the status of qualification or possible requalification of the marz’s unemployed people. I also want to know your opinion about the marz’s investment opportunities except for the ones we know, and what investment opportunities the marz possesses, since it would be desirable to carefully work with investors at the marz level as well. Of course, I am especially interested in the status of concrete instructions you have been given. I mean the activities of the textile enterprise in the Berd region and the support provided to that enterprise. Is there a problem which has not been addressed yet? I would like to get information about the Dilijan development programs. I want to see whether the given instructions have been carried out, has a council been established, how is it doing, and if not, why has not it been established? Of course, I also mean the last instruction pertaining to the record of those people’s damages who have suffered during the recent events on the border,” said President Serzh Sargsyan at the beginning of the consultation.

Marzpet Hovik Abovyan thanked for the opportunity and noted that as part of different programs, plenty of work has been carried out in Tavush Marz, and that there are also some problems in border communities. “Last year 24 border communities were granted certain privileges on your instruction. After the privileges were granted, we can observe a quite inspiring situation in those communities,” said the Tavush mazpet. During the consultation, he reported on the socio-economic situation of Tavush Marz for the accounting period, the problems and priorities, thoroughly presenting the statistical data on each sector - industry, construction, agriculture, education, healthcare, culture and sports, ecology etc. - and the opportunities to deal with problems.

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

At the end of the consultation, President Serzh Sargsyan gave a number of instructions. Particularly, the Tavush marzpet was instructed to:

For the purpose of raising the effectiveness of agricultural land usage, explore the construction volumes of necessary irrigation systems jointly with the RA MA State Committee for Water Economy, presenting proposals on priorities to the RA government.

To raise the marz’s recreational attractiveness, for the purpose of collecting industrial and solid household waste in big communities, and dealing with the issue of installing and managing landfills, carry out activities jointly with the MTAES in the directions of developing management plans for landfills in Dilijan and Ijevan towns, designing inter-communal landfills, providing technical means for their exploitation and improving garbage collection.

For the purpose of attracting new investment programs aimed at the development of Dilijan community and its adjacent territories and of applying common and harmonious urban development and architectural principles for Dilijan, urgently establish the Council of Urban Development and Investments of Dilijan Town as envisioned by law, ensuring the full involvement of the Tavush marzpet’s authorized representative in council activities.

For the purpose of rendering financial assistance to the marz’s border inhabitants who have suffered from cannonade from 1 to 6 September 2015, quickly (in a maximum of 10 days) sum up the assessment of damages of the 13 communities bombed during the period between 1 to 6 September, placing an order of financial assistance to the RA government.

At the same time, conduct a study in the border communities under fire jointly with the RA Ministry of Urban Development and the RA Ministry of Territorial Administration and Emergency Situations and make proposals on continuous improvement of security at educational institutions and public buildings (including through their reconstruction or construction of a new one), as well as on ensuring safe movement of people, presenting the summaries of financial assessments to the RA government.

The marzpet was instructed to study the marz’s employment data jointly with officials in charge of the social sector, and the opportunities for requalification of labor resources based on workforce demand, presenting proposals to the RA government and the Office to the RA President.

For the purpose of stimulating economic activities of legal persons who have been granted tax privileges in border communities and of forming clusters of vulnerable communities, the RA Ministry of Finance was instructed to include Berd town in the list of communities with tax privileges, initiating changes in the Law HO-156-N which had entered into force on 01.01.2015.

For the purpose of full renovation and reconstruction of the marz’s educational, sports and cultural and other objects, the director of the Armenian Territorial Development Fund was instructed to initiate a competitive procurement process to draft design documents of projects enlisted in the list of urgent programs presented during the report and to carry out construction works, showing greater preference to local organizations and ensuring continuous quality control.