AMD 62.5 bln set for Armenia’s government three branches spending in 2013

YEREVAN, October 31. /ARKA/. Armenia’s budget expenditures for the legislative, executive and judiciary branches are projected to stand at 62.5 billion drams in 2013, the first deputy finance minister Pavel Safaryan said.

“It is 7.7% higher from a year earlier. However, these expenditures in the GDP are falling, thus their growth rates are lower that those of the GDP,” he said during Wednesday’s budget hearing in the parliament. 

If in 2009 state machinery spending share in the GDP was 1.64%, in 2013 it will be just 1.38%, according to him.

“Over 65% of the total amount will be allocated to the pension fund, 5.7 billion up from a year earlier. It is mainly prompted by state machinery staff increase, enhance of food safety, as well as audit departments opened in local administrations,” he noted.

As a result, the staff increased by about 222 to 17,100 individuals, according to him. 

Average salary rate will be the second factor to influence the wage fund, he noted.

“The government will not raise wages bearing in mind the natural growth by 3% defined in the law on civil servant wages,” Safaryan added. 

At the same time, business tour expenditures in 2013 rose by 3% to 3 billion drams.

Safaryan said communal services spending for the three branches will be cut by 22%. 

The revenues of the consolidated budget are supposed to account 1 trillion 59 billion, the expenditures- 1 trillion 183 billion drams, and the deficit- 124 billion drams or 2.6% of the GDP. The rate of a twelve-month inflation is projected at 4±1,5%. Community budget income will stand at 97.5 billion drams, expenditures- 101.7 billion drams, and deficit- 4.2 billion drams. ($1-405.57 drams). —0-