November 21, joint sitting of the NA Standing Committees on Social Affairs and Health Care and on Budget, Finance and Economic Management, chaired by Aram Grigoryan and Ruslan Israelyan, have discussed the Republic of Artsakh draft law "On State Budget 2018".

Artsakh NA deputies, ministers and others responsible for the spheres participated at the discussion.

Presenting the amount allocated to the sphere of work, social issues and resettlement in 2018, Minister Samvel Avanesyan informed that it will make 22 billion 826 million 600 thousand drams, which exceeds the approved state budget expenditures for 2017 by 1 billion 32 million drams.

Parliamentarians proposed the Minister questions concerning the assistance to socially disadvantaged families, ensuring the employment of people with disabilities, financial support for young families housing construction and other issues.

According to the Minister of Health Karine Atayan, 6 billion 151.8 million drams will be provided from the state budget next year. The increase will make 155.3 million drams compared to 2017.

According to the minister, the increase is conditioned by the exploitation of magnetic resonance tomography device at the Republican Medical Center, the exploitation of the Laboratory Instrumentation of the Center for Epidemiology and Hygiene SNCO and the introduction of a new program for the care of children with certain health problems.

The deputies spoke about the prices of medicines in the republic, the implementation of the insurance system, the citizen's choice in the selection of the local doctor, the programs implemented within the framework of the state order, the training of the specialists. The Minister of Finance of the Republic of Artsakh Grigory Martirosyan also gave clarifications on the presented draft.

Tomorrow, November 22, the parliamentary committee discussions will be continued in the Standing Committees on Defense, Security and Law Enforcement and on Budget, Financial and Economic Management in a closed mode.