A Cabinet meeting was held today, chaired by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

The government approved the twentieth activity to minimize the pandemic’s adverse economic impact and a procedure for providing assistance under the new program, which seeks to assist private sector employees, civil contract workers and private entrepreneurs representing 12 areas most affected by the coronavirus.

Assistance will be provided in the form of a lump-sum allowance equal to the minimum wage that will be made available through the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs on the basis of electronic applications from beneficiaries at https://dimum.ssa.am/. Applications will be accepted from 22 June. The assistance will be provided exclusively through transfer of funds to the beneficiary’s bank account.

The government approved a list of specialties in which working graduate or postgraduate students from universities accredited in Armenia will be able to receive compensation for tuition paid in accordance with the procedure established by the Tax Code of the Republic of Armenia for income tax on salaries or payments equivalent to salaries. As a result, tuition fees for working students shall be reimbursed with their income tax proceeds.

The government next approved a draft law on amending the law on state benefits. The draft provides that a parent of a child who, according to the State Register of Population, is registered with the child and actually resides in a rural locality is also entitled to receive childcare allowance until the child reaches the age of two years, if during at least one year before applying for the allowance or the child’s birthday, the child was registered and actually lived in a rural locality.

Nikol Pashinyan noted in this connection: “Thanks to this decision, non-working parents will receive childcare allowances in rural settlements, while working parents will receive twice as much. Non-working parents living in urban settlement will not receive benefits; working parents living in towns will receive 26 thousand 500 drams. Non-working parents living in rural areas will receive 26 thousand 500 drams, while working parents will receive 53 drams in childcare assistance.”

The government amended one of its previous decisions to regulate the use of biological resources and sustainable management of Lake Sevan. Experimental capture of whitefish is planned. Fishing will be allowed until October 1, the weight of the fish should be at least 500 grams.

Touching upon the decision, the Prime Minister noted that it was adopted as a result of discussions with citizens who are fishing in Lake Sevan and with the public. “We hope that this process will really help to come to an agreement and close this issue forever, so that those fishing in Sevan could become pioneers in protecting the whitefish stock since they are the primary beneficiaries thereof,” Nikol Pashinyan said.