Daily News
NK-Related News Compiled from Reliable Sources*

Today, the regular session of the NKR Government chaired by the Prime Minister Ara Haroutyunyan took place.

With the first agenda issue the Executive affirmed official rates of employees of institutions and organizations financed by the NKR State Budget means for 2009. According to the presentation of the NKR Vice-Premier, Minister of Finance S.Tevosyan, according to the new wage scale increases in salary are anticipated. The official rates of diplomatic employees of the NKR Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the size of additional payments for the diplomatic degree were affirmed. Particularly, for the NKR Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary 28000 drams additional payment was defined.

According to the resolution of the Executive, the maximum quantity of employees of the NKR state governing bodies and that of chief deputies were defined. The State Committee of the Real Estate Cadastre adjunct to the NKR Government was permitted to embrace 20 contractual employees into the anticipated processes. The maximum quantity of employees - 205 regular posts - was defined for the State Tax Service.

The question of the conception on working out and implementing of Artsakh regions' development programme became a subject of concerned discussion at the session. Commenting on the problem, the Minister of Economic Development B. Babayan noted that today neither of the NKR communities has a worked out programme of development, the same refers to regions and sub-regions. By the document submitted to the affirmation of the Government, the principles and methods aimed at setting tasks contributing to the long-term and stable socio-economic progress and securing proportional development of regions are fixed. In concern with the problem, the Prime Minister Ara Haroutyunyan noted that by now the Executive has mainly implemented operational governing. "We must know, where we are moving to", - the Head of the Government emphasized and attached importance to the necessity of having long-term programmes not only in territorial, but also in branch directions. The competent Government officials, other concerned persons and bodies were charged with a task to work out detailed programmes on development and present them to the affirmation of the Executive within realistic time limits. This process was outlined to be completed within the first quarter of 2010. A.Haroytyunyan expressed his assurance towards the necessity of governing the state in accord with the programmes worked out in the best way, and the conception approved by the Executive can successfully contribute to the settlement of the problem.

At the session, the Government suggested additions and changes in the NKR law "On State Regulation of Technical Security". The law draft referring to the implementation of changes in the NKR law "On Employment of Population and Their Social Security in Case of Unemployment" was approved as well. The projects of the suggested changes in the mentioned laws will be submitted to the discussion of the NKR NA.

The Executive adopted two more decrees of economic significance. The new orders of running the accounting registers of the accreditted certification centres and those of digital electronic signature certification were affirmed.

The common rules on security during detonation works were affirmed as well. According to them, detonation works are carried out by persons having corresponding licences. Their instruction and qualification is realized on account of means of the given organization.

At the session dozens of changes were implemented in a number of decrees of social significance formerly adopted by the Government. According to the clarification by the Minister of Social Welfare, these changes of editorial character are dictated by new financing of the state programmes on employment and by the reorganization of the fund of social insurance. Changes connected with creating a centre of medical and social examination in the Ministry of Social Welfare were implemented as well. With a separate decree the Executive implemented additions and changes in the NKR Government decree 222 "On Size and Order of Payment of State Insurance Obligatory Sums for Soldiers".

The Government gave approval to the annual programme of arrangements on protection of a child's rights in 2009. The main directions registered in the document are perfection of the legislation, the social welfare, improvement of healthcare problems, reforms in the educational sphere and organization of rest, sport and cultural life. As it is mentioned in the programme, for the future of our country and its national security, the importance of the problem requires the most profitable long-term capital investment, which can be made by the state and the society. According to the data of 2007, the number of children under 18 years of age formed 40100. According to the programme, 53 state comprehensive arrangements for children are anticipated in the current year.

The next programme affirmed by the Executive refers to educational and scientific arrangements. Particularly, an international scientific conference on the theme "New Technologies, Problems and Perspectives" is anticipated to be organized in Stepanakert, in the first half of 2009.

According to the Government decree, a change was implemented in the temporary outline of lands use of Berqadzor rural community in Askeran region. A territory of 0.33 hectares being in the category of residential lands was turned into the category of practical significance lands with the aim of alienating them by auction in 2009.

This year, on February 16, the 50 th anniversary of the first Chairman of the NKR Supreme Council Artur Mkrtchyan will be celebrated. With that end in view, the Government decided to set up a commission with the Minister-Chief of the NKR Government Staff S. Grigoryan at the head. The commission was charged with a task to draft and affirm the programme of arrangements dedicated to A.Mkrtchyan's anniversary within five days.

Summarizing the session the Prime Minister announced that soon the reports of the ministries and bodies adjunct to the Government Staff as well as that of regional administrations will be listened to, and instructed competent persons get ready for that "examination" duly. The reports will be presented in accordance with the schedules.

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After the Government session, the Prime Minister A.Haroutyunyan conducted a conference with participation of the heads of regional administrations of the Republic. Current and forthcoming agricultural work was the main subject of the discussion. The Prime Minister expressed discontent with utmost slow proceeding of fallowing and recommended those present to continue explanatory activities among the land users. It is necessary that they be well-informed about the agricultural measure efficiency and about state assistance aimed at it,- the Head of the Government emphasized. The fact, that more than a half of the areas in the NKR rural outskirts are not cultivated is abnormal. The Government undertakes every possible effort to provide mighty development of farming and more land users get wide use of offered possibilities, it was said at the conference.

Then the order of rendering fertilizers was discussed. It is supposed to sell fertilizers at the price of 100 drams for 1 kg under precondition of the total sum repayment by August 1, 2009. Only conscientious land users, cultivating the land according to the rules and having no state debts, may be given fertilizers.

At the conference it was envisaged to conduct a special meeting, within the next few days, with participation of the government members, where the schedule of their partaking in annual meetings of the communities will be affirmed. By the Premier's statement, all members of the Government, must conduct concerned meetings with countrymen, to specify realized state programmes, which first of all refers to rural economy.

The Minister of Agriculture A.Tsatryan was also present at the conference and expressed his considerations.