On November 1, at the joint sitting of the Standing Committees on State and Legal Affairs and on Financial-Credit and Budgetary Affairs the preliminary debates on the allocations being designed by the state budget for 2024 continued.
The budgetary bid of the expenditure programme Provision of the Implementation of the RA National Assembly Authorities was 7.2 billion AMD, which is by 1.5 percent more than the budget approved of 2023. The RA NA Chief of Staff, Secretary General Davit Arakelyan informed this, presenting the financial allocations and the measures to be implemented designed for the legislative body by the main financial document of the coming year
6.1 billion AMD is designed for the measure RA National Assembly Activity Provision, Legislative, Analytical and Representation Services. 1.3 million AMD – for the training of the state servants of the Staff, 50.6 million AMD – for the implementation of the measures aimed at the rise of the role of the National Assembly, 123.9 million AMD – on the Membership Fees of the Republic of Armenia to the International Parliamentary Organizations, 520.7 million AMD is designed for the implementation for the measure Support to the Parties and Party Allies. 175.7 million AMD will be directed to the improvement of the technical equipment of the National Assembly, which 38 percent more than the budgetary allocation of 2023, and 191.5 million AMD will be provided for the improvement of the NA building conditions.
The RA NA Chief of Staff, Secretary General noticed that the increase of financing of the measure Improvement of the Technical Equipment of the National Assembly in the budgetary bid of 2024 is conditioned by the necessity of modernization of technical equipment. According to Davit Arakelyan, there is need for the repair of the NA buildings, electric communication network (ECN), telephone, internet external telephone connection, the network needs modernization, and the allocations will be directed to the regulation of that problem.
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It was noted that in 2024, the Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) will be held in Armenia, for which sum of money was also allocated.
Regarding the cooperation with the international partners, the NA Chief of Staff, Secretary General underscored that it will be continuous with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the International Republic Institute (IRI), the National Democratic Institute (NDI), the Parliamentary Centre (Canada), and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ).
Speaking about the steps taken within the measure aimed at the rise of the role of the National Assembly, Davit Arakelyan touched upon the successfully implemented Summer School programme. He informed that in 2024 it is designed not only continue the Summer School Programme, but among other events, hold the events titled Day of Democracy and Day of Parliamentarism.
The Chair of the Standing Committee on Financial-Credit and Budgetary Affairs Gevorg Papoyan inquired about the continuation of the programmes being implemented within the framework of the UNDP and the co-financing problem by the National Assembly. Davit Arakelyan clarified that the discussions are underway with the UNDP partners on that issue. The continuity of cooperation with the international partners, which is aimed at the development of the NA capacities was highlighted. The RA NA Chief of Staff, Secretary General informed that at this moment with the UNDP among other events the programme of altering the NA official website is implemented, as a result of which, it will become more modern and inclusive.
The deputies Alkhas Ghazaryan and Mikayel Tumasyan inquired about the possible change and alteration of the Friendship Groups and Inter-Parliamentary Committees.
National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia
