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Tigranuhi Martirosyan

ARF MP Says Prime Minister Gave Assurances That Mandatory Clause of Pension System Would be "Halted"

According to an ARF MP Artzvik Minasyan, newly appointed Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan gave assurances that the ‘mandatory’ component of the pension system that has led to street protests in Yerevan and elsewhere would be temporarily halted.

Minasyan made the statement to reporters following a one hour special parliamentary discussion today on the pension system issue that was attended by MPs representing the ARF, Heritage and Prosperous Armenia parties. MPs from the Armenian National Congress (HAK) did not attend the session.

The ARF MP said that PM Abrahamyan also gave assurances that employers who did not make pension deductions from employee salaries would not face fines and penalties.

Armenia’s Constitutional Court recently found several provisions of the pension law unconstitutional and gave the government until September 2014 to modify those provisions.

This decision by the highest court in the land led to a number of conflicting interpretations by government officials and uncertainty in the business community as to how to implement pension system payments.

MP Minasyan told reporters that the government would be presenting an amended pension law in two days and praised the prime minister for manifesting a willingness to resolve the issues raised by those opposing the current law.

When asked by reporters why the new government has decided to change its approach to the pension system issue, Minasyan pointed to continued street protests as an important factor. He also said that the new government has probably read the Constitutional Court’s decision in greater detail and that this, coupled with the president’s willingness to review the system, has led to the change.

Minasyan couldn’t say if the government’s new approach to resolving the pension system problem would alter a prior decision jointly adopted by the four non-coalition parties in the parliament to call for special talks on the issue in the legislature.

“Since we don’t have the government’s initiative at this time, making such a call wouldn’t be correct. When the initiative is presented we will see the extent to which it reflects our approaches and that of the Dem Em movement. Only then will we be able to offer an evaluation,” Minasyan said.  

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