Armenian parliament turns down pension rise bill

YEREVAN, March 1. /ARKA/. The Armenian parliament, dominated by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract Party, has declined an opposition-drafted bill that calls for raising pensions.

MP Aghvan Vardanyan from the opposition Hayastan (Armenia) alliance, said the bill was drafted to improve the social status of pensioners and citizens receiving government allowances.

The bill, in particular, calls for indexing on an annual base retirement pensions, including the military pensions.

"In recent years, we have experienced an average inflation of 7% every year. Food is becoming more expensive, but pensions and benefits are not increasing. The latest rise in pensions by 2,600 drams applied only to 21,600 people out of 480 thousand pensioners," he said.

Earlier, the parliamentary committee on labor and social issues voted against including the bill on the parliament’s agenda. The bill has been declined today by 62 votes. --0--