Expenditures of the Republic of Armenia President’s Office have been significantly reduced by the 2018 budget draft. It was 4 billion 880 million in 2017, now it is 2 billion 445 million.
During the discussion of the budget draft, the head of the President’s Office Armen Gevorgyan said, that there will be some changes in the programs, because sin3 April 9 they will start the implementation of the new powers provided by the Constitution: “There will be changes, certain projects will no longer be envisaged in the state budget for the President’s Office . These are, in particular, the issues of information SNCO activities, which will be transferred to the government domain: these are the programs implemented in cooperation with the Public Administration Academy, 2 projects will also be transferred to the government domain. No projects for construction or major repairs are envisaged for the President’s Office for the next year. The remaining funds are mainly maintenance costs: salary, representational expenses”.
Member of the “Yelq” faction Edmon Marukyan asked, what will happen to the President’s Office after April 9, whether they will move to the Executive power, or will be dismissed. How many people will work in the President’s Office after April 9?
Armen Gevorgyan replied: “We have already reduced the staff twice this year for that reason. The year started with about 410 employees, since June 1 we have reduced the staff to 385, and by October 1 there have remained 330 employees”. Armen Gevorgyan said that the subdivisions that obviously should not be in the presidential administration, which are Oversight Services, Office of the Public Council, Secretariat of the Security Council, are to be reduced by about 130 employees. “The maximum number of presidential staff should be 200, but we believe this number still needs to be reduced to about 180-200”.
As for the future of the employees, Armen Gevorgyan said: “We are trying to reduce the vacancy or unused positions, which in fact have been reduced. A part of the specialists will retire, the others will be registered in the reserve”.
Member of “Tsarukyan” faction Naira Zohrabyan asked, whether the Public Council will become a separate structure or there won’t be any Public Council at all, if the Oversight Service and the Public Council are being automatically removed. Then she also asked: “Do you have an estimate of the performance of their work?”.
Armen Gevorgyan replied, that the Public Council will not be removed, their functions will automatically be transferred to the government. “The Public Council is already a Constitutional body. Article 161 defines it as a government advisory body”.
The draft law on the Public Council will be put into circulation soon.
As for the efficiency, Armen Gevorgyan said, “Since I receive similar questions about other organizations as well, with whom I work directly, I think the functions which I happen to deal with while working with them are quite efficient”.
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
