Marine Martirosyan

Vahe Sarukhanyan

At a press conference on June 1, the new Armenian government’s Chief of Staff Edward Aghajanyan told reporters that there are now some 110 vehicles in the government’s car pool, of which 33 are slated for removal.

On June 25, in a Facebook post, Aghajanyan wrote that the central government would be cutting gasoline supplies for these vehicles by half thus saving at least AMD 56 million ($116,000) per year.

From this, we can infer that the central government’s staff vehicles consume AMD 112 million in gasoline annually.

Hetq will show the number of vehicles now used by the government’s seventeen ministries, their monthly gasoline expenses, and how many are slated to be cut.

In 2005, the government approved a decision limiting the number of government vehicles. The vehicles were classified as those for use by officials from state agencies and those allocated to the agencies themselves.

Here’s a list of the number of vehicles now at the disposal of the ministries. (These numbers do not include the car pools at the disposal of separate adjunct bodies of the ministries)

Ministry of Foreign Affairs – 17
Ministry of Finance - 17
Ministry of Healthcare – 14
Ministry of Economic Development and Investment - 11
Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs – 9
Ministry of Justice – 9
Ministry of Emergency Situations – 9
Ministry of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources – 9
Ministry of Territorial Governance and Development – 9
Ministry of Transportation, IT and Communications – 9
Ministry of Education and Science - 9
Ministry of Nature Protection – 8
Ministry of Agriculture - 8
Ministry of the Diaspora – 5
Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs – 5
Ministry of Culture – 5
Ministry of Defense - ?

We haven’t given any number for the Ministry of Defense because Garnik Hayrapetyan, its chief of staff, didn’t provide us with a specific number. He referred to two 2005 government decisions.

The first, which we noted above, specifies the maximum number of vehicles allowed.

The second specifies the amounts of gasoline for each vehicle. The number of staff vehicles the ministry can have for top officials is set at 160. We don’t know the exact number right now. The government did not limit the number of vehicles at the disposal of the ministry as a whole.

Hayrapetyan said the ministry has yet to discuss the possibility of cutting cars from its roster. Thus, we do not include the ministry in the section below.  

Average Monthly Vehicle Expenses (Gasoline, Repairs, Insurance, etc.) per Ministry (in AMD)

Ministry of Nature Protection – 3,415,600
Ministry of Foreign Affairs – 2,465,000
Ministry of Justice – 2,080,750
Ministry of Health – 1,086,400
Ministry of Economic Development and Investments – 1,787,900
Ministry of Finance – 1,658,500
Ministry of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources – 1,295,300
Ministry of Emergency Situations- 930,000
Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs – 900,000
Ministry of Transportation, IT and Communications – 900,000
Ministry of Education and Science – 891,750
Ministry of Agriculture – 808,100
Ministry of Territorial Governance and Development – 723,500
Ministry of Culture – 716,900
Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs – 411,300
Ministry of Diaspora – 400,000

On average, the above sixteen ministries spend AMD 20 million ($41,500) on their vehicles.

Planned Cuts

Ministry of Healthcare: 14-6

Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs: 9-? The ministry is still reviewing the issue.

Ministry of Justice: 9-?  Eight of the ministry’s 9 vehicles service officials and one is in reserve. Ministry Chief of Staff Nouneh Khachatryan, when asked if cuts are planned, said they will review the matter and draft an overall approach.

Ministry of Emergency Situations: 9-? No cuts are planned

Ministry of Foreign Affairs: 17-? Deputy Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan says that eight of the car pool’s 17 vehicles are old and that the ministry might drop them and save government funds. He added that the ministry plans to use its own cars to transport visiting foreign delegations rather than renting vehicles.

Ministry of Nature Protection: 8-? Ministry Chief of Staff Hovhannes Hovhannisyan says the ministry might cut some vehicles but that the final resolution of the issue rests with the central government.

Ministry of Agriculture: 8-? Minister Artur Khachatryan says 8 out of 16 vehicles were cut in 2016 and that the possibility of additional cuts would be reviewed.

Ministry of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources: 9-? The ministry is reviewing the issue.

Ministry of Education and Science: 9-2.

Ministry of Culture: 5-0. Chief of Staff Samvel Muradyan says that 2 cars were dropped before Lilit Makunts was appointed minister in May.

Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs: 7-0. No cuts are planned.

Ministry of Diaspora: 5-1. The remaining four vehicles will be used by the minister, deputy ministers, and the chief of staff.

Ministry of Territorial Governance and Development: 9-? Chief of Staff Masis Baghdasaryan says that the issue of regulating the number of vehicles is under the purview of the executive.

Ministry of Economic Development and Investments: 11-0. Chief of Staff Armen Karapetyan says the number of vehicles corresponds to the law and that no cuts are planned.

Ministry of Transportation, IT and Communications: 9-? Chief of Staff Samvel Amirkhanyan says the cuts will correspond to the general position of the government.

Ministry of Finance: 17-?  Former Chief of Staff Edgar Gevorgyan said that there must be a systematic resolution regarding cuts to government vehicles, and that specific guidelines must be drafted for their allocation and use.