Government to discuss construction sector problems next week

YEREVAN, March 29. / ARKA /. Armenian ministries of economy and urban planning will meet next week with representatives of construction companies and financial institutions to discuss how to boost construction industry, economy minister Tigran Davtyan said today.

Speaking at a March 21 Cabinet session prime minister Tigran Sargsyan spoke about the need of a government program to ensure growth in the construction sector and asked economy minister Tigran Davtyan to organize a meeting of construction firms heads with officials form the ministry of finance and Central Bank to determine what steps should be done by the government to secure growth in the construction industry.

"We are planning next week to have a meeting with businessmen and representatives of financial institutions to understand where the problem lies, and what can be done to solve it,"  Davtyan  told reporters after visiting the exhibition "Caucasus Construction and Maintenance EXPO 2013".

Davtyan said the priority for the government is to help overcome stagnation in the construction industry, which requires joint efforts of government agencies and private sector.

"Construction is the only sector where we do not have positive dynamics. This year, the task is to pay more attention to the construction and related sectors, in particular, to production of building materials," he said.

The minister spoke also about the significance of the exhibition, saying such events give a new impetus to construction sector. 

Armenia’s economic activity index in January-February 2013 increased by 8% compared to the same period of 2012. Construction sector in the first two months of the year decreased by 8% year-on-year to 36 billion drams.  

Industrial output in January-February 2013 saw a 16 percent year-on-year rise to 188.6 billion drams ($1 - 418.58 drams). -0-