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YEREVAN, APRIL 5, ARMENPRESS: During the recent period oversight bodies have found a number of violations, flaws in the social sphere. Armenpress news agency spoke with Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Arthur Grigoryan about the reforms and programs to be carried out in the sphere.
- Mr Minister, what steps will be undertaken to eliminate the flaws registered recently by the Oversight Chamber and are there concrete initiatives?
- After the checking of the Oversight Chamber works are being conducted by the Finance Ministry. There is a clear task of the RA President – sum up all results of checking and studies on June 1. I can assure that all the cases will get corresponding assessment and the employees who allowed violations will be hold accountable.
At the same time the ministry, social insurance state service undertook steps to strengthen the administration in the process of paying pensions. A centralized database will be created as well.
A package of bills has been prepared for the elimination of flaws registered by the Oversight Chamber and bringing the possibility of abuses to minimum. The goal of the package is to get information from corresponding bodies about deaths, place of settlement and other information about pensioners. The bills will soon be discussed at the government.
- What issues will the ministry keep in spotlight during the year and what steps will be undertaken toward their solution?
- The Government has approved the priorities of the ministry for 2011. They are – implementation of reforms in the pensions’ sphere, applying of system for providing integrated social services, unloading children’s houses, upgrading of databases of social protection sphere. Noticeable works are intended in these directions. Naturally, all the necessary events for the solution of the issues will be undertaken.
- How does the ministry plan to assist the children’s houses and children left without care?
- Currently the livelihood and psychological conditions of families of children living in one children house are being studied. The goal is to ensure the right of a child to live in family through continuative and complex assistance to that family. With that goal visits were paid to families of 30 children having parents in Yerevan, Ararat, Aragatsotn, Armavir and Kotayk provinces. The program was carried out by the specialists of the ministry and “World Vision” international organization within the framework of jointly signed memorandum of understanding. Such studies will be made in other children’s houses as well.
- Mr Minister, in your opinion, what will the social situation in the republic be in 2011?
- The fact that no social program was cut during the post-crisis 2010 and the financial means did not reduce, and besides, taking into consideration the government’s steps directed toward facilitation of social burden for socially vulnerable clusters, in 2011 we will have better social situation.