National Security Service employees in Armenia to have salary rise after certification

YEREVAN, March 1. /ARKA/. By a vote of 63 to 27 abstentions, the Armenian parliament approved today in the second and final reading a set of amendments and additions to the laws "On Service in National Security Bodies" and "On Remuneration of Persons Occupying Public Posts and Positions in Public Service." 

The Deputy Director of the National Security Service (NSS) Andranik Simonyan said the changes are designed to introduce a new certification system in national security agencies, raise salaries based on its results, as well as ensure the proper level of professional training of employees.

He said the amendments calls for additional payments for employees involved in planning, execution and monitoring of special missions, state border protection, intelligence, counterintelligence, operational and reconnaissance activities.

Simonyan noted that the first certification will be voluntary and afterwards it will be held once in three years. In case of a negative result, the employee has the right to apply for re-certification twice a year.

"The procedure for certification, the method and amount of bonuses will be established by a government decision, while the list of employees subject to certification by the director of the NSC," he said.

"The test is to include 20 questions, with 17 correct answers the candidate will move on to the second stage. Certain categories of employees before the test will have to have a test on physical and combat skills," he said. -0-