We have government moving forward with high spirit: Zeynalyan to PAP lawmaker

Prosperous Armenia faction lawmaker Gevorg Petrosyan considers the bill on optimizing government’s structure as rather “suspicious reform.”

Speaking at the NA State-Legal Affairs Standing Committee, justice minister Artak Zeynalyan said the bill envisages cutting the number of ministries from 17 to 12, but did not specify how many jobs will be cut.

Lawmaker Gevorg Petrosyan asked how many job cuts are expected as a result of “this suspicious reforms.”

In response, Zeynalyan said that the government does not consider the reforms suspicious.

“It is not suspicious for us, it is the conviction of our legitimate government,” Zeynalyan said.

Speaking about job cuts, the minister could not state exact number, saying that few dozens of cuts of political and conceptual posts are expected and few hundreds of repeated posts.

“How many people will remain without work? How many people will knock the doors of employment agencies, how many people will want to immigrate? This is the reason we want to know the number, Mr Minister! What will we have and for the sake of what?! You merge such ministries it is difficult to understand. What relation does today’s minister of education have with sport? Will you explain the direct connection?” Petrosyan asked, proposing to create a ministry of moving forward with high spirit.

In response Zeynalyan said that there will hardly be a minister who will have equal relation to all the sectors under his subordination.

“Ministerial posts are political posts and they have their deputies responsible for different sectors. The minister makes political decisions,” Petrosyan said.

Referring to the lawmaker’s proposal, the minister said, “we have higher level structures than the ministry of moving forward with high spirit. We have National Assembly and government. In general, we have government that moves forward with high spirit not a ministry,” Zeynalyan said.