February 21, a regular sitting of the Standing Committee on Social Affairs and Health of the Artsakh National Assembly was convened under the chairmanship of Aram Grigoryan.

The first item on the agenda was the discussion of the draft law "On Amendments and Amendments to the Law “On State Pensions”", which was presented by the Minister of Social Development and Migration of Artsakh, Armen Mangasaryan.

According to the Minister, the purpose of the first amendment proposed in the project is to define the possibility of changing the type of pension and receiving a disability work pension for persons receiving a disability social pension in case of obtaining the appropriate work experience defined for age groups.

The next amendment will define that in addition to citizens serving sentences in a penitentiary, being treated in a psychiatric hospital and studying in a military educational institution, the suspended pension of the disabled person of the first group can also be resumed with a power of attorney.

The amount of the pension paid to a person who has reached the age of 18 and lives in state organizations for social security  of the population.

The draft also proposes to extend the deadlines for applying for the resumption of suspended pension payments due to the coronavirus pandemic and the war operations of 2020.

The last addition to the bill concerns and to the pensions of our compatriots who do not have the opportunity to return due to the situation in that country. Resumption of such pensions will also be permitted on powers of attorney not expiring on the date of submission of written application. Moreover, the unpaid pension will be paid for the entire period of entitlement to a pension.

The last change proposed by the project will be revised on the recommendation of the committee members and based on the conclusion of the NA expert service.

With a positive conclusion, the project will be included in the agenda of the upcoming regular sitting of the National Assembly.

The next item on the agenda was the discussion of the draft law "On Amendments to the Law «On Military Service and the Status of Servicemen"".

According to I. Ishkhanyan, the Acting Head of the Committee Housing Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh, the draft law will specify the registration and distribution procedures, which will be approved by the relevant decision of the government of the Republic of Artsakh.

At the same time, according to the draft law, not only contract servicemen performing combat duty, but also all contract servicemen will be given the opportunity to use state-targeted long-term mortgage lending programs on affordable and preferential terms.

With the adoption of the draft law, all servicemen who need improvement of housing conditions will benefit from the housing improvement programs.

The bill was approved by the committee with 5 votes in favor, and it will be presented at the regular session of the National Assembly.