December 16, the regular sitting of the National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh was convened.

The NA President Artur Tovmasyan summarized the results of the preliminary discussions in the factions and committees on the budget and presented at the regular sitting of the parliament the procedure for discussing the project defined by the Regulations.

After approving the agenda of the session and the sitting, the parliament passed to the discussion of the draft law "On the Republic of Artsakh State Budget 2022".

Presenting the bill, the Minister of Finance Vahram Baghdasaryan first thanked all the NA deputies for interested and open discussions on the state budget, then he referred to the macroeconomic indicators of the current year and singled out the sectoral expenditures planned for 2022. The Minister of Finance informed that as a result of preliminary discussions on the draft budget by NA factions and individual deputies, 93 proposals were submitted, 26 of which were in the form of questions. According to the Minister, recommendations approved by the Government, have been included in the amended version of the 2022 draft state budget.

The Minister of Finance clarified the questions raised by the deputies which referred to the salaries of unemployed displaced citizens, food products subsidizing, the efficiency all-day schools and other topics.

The draft was summed up with a positive conclusion at the sittings of the NA Standing Committees on Budget, Financial and Economic Management and on Defense, Security and Law Enforcement.

The NA President A. Tovmasyan, MPs D. Galstyan, A. Petrosyan and M.Hakobyan exchanged views on the draft state budget 2022.

According to the "NA Rules of Procedure" law, the discussion on the draft budget was interrupted for submission of the second stage proposals of the deputies   within 24 hours.

According to the approved schedule, the discussions on the state budget 2022 will be continued on December 23.

The next issue on the agenda was the discussion of the bill "On Making Amendments" to the law "On Remuneration of Public Officials"". According to the Minister of Finance, the proposals voiced by the deputies at the sittings of the committees were accepted and included in the draft.

The bill was previously approved by the Head Committee. As the draft law "On Making Amendments and Addenda to the Law "On Remuneration of Public Officials"" was submitted together with the draft budget, therefore, it will be put to a vote on December 23, along with the state budget.

The next was the discussion of the package of draft laws "On Making Amendments to the Law on Ensuring Road Traffic Safety", "On Making Amendments to the Law on State Toll" and "On Making Amendments to the Law on Environmental Toll Rates". According to Article 75 of the Law "NA Rules of Procedure", the package of drafts was returned to the stage of submitting written proposals at the November 28 sitting of the National Assembly. The Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of the Republic of Artsakh, Hayk Khanumyan, noted that the proposals submitted by the MP Areg Avagyan were accepted and included in the draft. Chairman of the Standing Committee on Production and Manufacturing Infrastructure, V. Kasyan presented the positive conclusion of the Head Committee.

Deputies M. Hakobyan and D. Galstyan exchanged views on the bill. The bill was adopted as a law by 27 votes in favor.

The parliament unanimously voted in favor of the draft laws "On Amendments and Addenda to the Law "On Local Duties and Payments"" and "On Amendments to the Law "On Mandatory Public Service Regulation Payments"" by the Standing Committee on Budget, Financial and Economic Management.

The package of draft laws "On Police Troops", "On Amendments to the Law "On Service in the Police"", "On Amendments to the Law "On Defense"", "On Amendments to the Law "On Immortalization of the Memory of the Motherland Defense of Victims"" was presented in the first reading by the Republic of Artsakh Chief of Police, Colonel A. Harutyunyan.

At the suggestion of the Head Committee, the deadline for written proposals for the second reading is December 21, inclusive. The bill was adopted in the first reading with 27 votes in favor.

The draft law "On Making Amendments to the "Civil Service" Law" had previously been approved by the Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs. The parliament unanimously adopted the bill.

After the submission of the draft law "On Making Amendments to the Law "On Television and Radio"", the deputies came up with questions and exchanged views. It had a negative conclusion at the sitting of the Head Committee. At the regular sitting, with 18 votes in favor and 6 against, the bill was adopted as a law.