Armenian parliament rejects opposition's proposal to raise minimum wage

The Armenian parliament rejected the Hayastan bloc's proposal to raise the minimum wage from 68,000 drams to 100,000 drams (about $200), Report informs via Sputnik Armenia.

On February 7, the Commission on Labor and Social Issues of the Armenian Parliament considered the legislative initiative of Aghvan Vardanyan, a member of the Hayastan opposition bloc.

According to Vardanyan, when drafting the bill, he considered the fact that the minimum consumer basket in the country is now about 70,000 drams ($140).

The government and the parliamentary majority did not support the idea. Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Ruben Sargsyan particularly stated that according to the government program for 2021-2026, it is planned to increase the minimum wage to 85,000 drams (about $190).

According to him, if Vardanyan's initiative is adopted, the minimum wage will be about 50% of the average, which may negatively affect the Armenian economy. Based on this, the government proposes to leave the minimum wage unchanged.

Taking into account the conclusion of the commission, the parliamentary majority did not include the bill in the agenda of the National Assembly.