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OFFICIAL DEFENDS CONTROVERSIAL GOVERNMENT PLAN TO CUT MATERNITY BENEFITS
YEREVAN, October 27. / ARKA /. Smbat Sayan, the deputy chairman of
the State Social Security Service, an affiliation of the Labor and
Social Security Ministry, defended today a controversial government
plan to cut maternity benefits paid by the state in Armenia, saying
it does not run counter to Armenia's international obligations.
Smbat Sayan was speaking Monday at parliamentary hearings on the
government bill submitted to the parliament this month that would cut
the amount of benefits by at least 20 percent. The financial support
is paid to working mothers during 140 days preceding and following
the birth of a child. Pregnant women with work experience of up to 1
and 3 years would be paid sums equivalent to only 40 percent and 60
percent of their wages respectively. The current law says the monthly
allowances must fully match the salaries of women employed by public
or private entities
The bill expands the number of women entitled to maternity allowance.
More specifically, the government plans to start paying maternity
allowance also to non-working women from 2016. The amount of that
allowance is to be calculated based on the minimum monthly salary
which is now 50,000 drams.
The proposed changes made dozens of angry young women rally in Yerevan
last Thursday outside the government building to protest against the
government plan.
"No international treaty signed by Armenia says that maternity benefit
must fully match the salaries of employed women. Relating agreements
say the benefit must be as close to salary as possible and the size
is to be decided by the government based on its financial capacity,"
said Sayan today.
According to Labor and Social Security Minister Artem Asatryan, the
amount of money spent by the government to pay maternity benefits has
increased approximately three-fold - from 4.5 billion drams to almost
12 billion drams in recent years, although no rise in birth rate was
reported, neither a rise in salaries of pregnant women. According
to him, the birth rate in Armenia remains almost unchanged - about
42,000 a year.
The bill was criticized by minority parliamentary parties. Thus,
Heghine Bisharyan from the Rule of Law party argued that a working
mother could reconcile with a benefit in the amount of 80% of her
salary, but not with 40% and 60%.
"You have taken the practice of post-Soviet states, which is not the
best one and you want to apply it in Armenia", she said.
Elinar Vardanyan from the Prosperous Armenia accused the government
of drafting the bill to "cover its administrative shortcomings."
According to minister Artem Asatryan, about 20% of women who receive
maternity allowances are enrolled 2-3 months before delivering their
babies. He says when adopted the revised law will increase the number
of beneficiaries by 30,000 by 2016, which will require additional 8
billion drams.
According to the labor and social security ministry, given that by 2016
the minimum monthly salary is to rise to 80,000 drams, a non-working
woman will receive about 365,000 drams in maternity allowance. The
net amount will be 274,000 drams). ($ 1 - 409.40 drams). -0--
http://arka.am/en/news/society/official_defends_controversial_government_plan_to_ cut_maternity_benefits_/#sthash.EMLTeCEG.dpuf
YEREVAN, October 27. / ARKA /. Smbat Sayan, the deputy chairman of
the State Social Security Service, an affiliation of the Labor and
Social Security Ministry, defended today a controversial government
plan to cut maternity benefits paid by the state in Armenia, saying
it does not run counter to Armenia's international obligations.
Smbat Sayan was speaking Monday at parliamentary hearings on the
government bill submitted to the parliament this month that would cut
the amount of benefits by at least 20 percent. The financial support
is paid to working mothers during 140 days preceding and following
the birth of a child. Pregnant women with work experience of up to 1
and 3 years would be paid sums equivalent to only 40 percent and 60
percent of their wages respectively. The current law says the monthly
allowances must fully match the salaries of women employed by public
or private entities
The bill expands the number of women entitled to maternity allowance.
More specifically, the government plans to start paying maternity
allowance also to non-working women from 2016. The amount of that
allowance is to be calculated based on the minimum monthly salary
which is now 50,000 drams.
The proposed changes made dozens of angry young women rally in Yerevan
last Thursday outside the government building to protest against the
government plan.
"No international treaty signed by Armenia says that maternity benefit
must fully match the salaries of employed women. Relating agreements
say the benefit must be as close to salary as possible and the size
is to be decided by the government based on its financial capacity,"
said Sayan today.
According to Labor and Social Security Minister Artem Asatryan, the
amount of money spent by the government to pay maternity benefits has
increased approximately three-fold - from 4.5 billion drams to almost
12 billion drams in recent years, although no rise in birth rate was
reported, neither a rise in salaries of pregnant women. According
to him, the birth rate in Armenia remains almost unchanged - about
42,000 a year.
The bill was criticized by minority parliamentary parties. Thus,
Heghine Bisharyan from the Rule of Law party argued that a working
mother could reconcile with a benefit in the amount of 80% of her
salary, but not with 40% and 60%.
"You have taken the practice of post-Soviet states, which is not the
best one and you want to apply it in Armenia", she said.
Elinar Vardanyan from the Prosperous Armenia accused the government
of drafting the bill to "cover its administrative shortcomings."
According to minister Artem Asatryan, about 20% of women who receive
maternity allowances are enrolled 2-3 months before delivering their
babies. He says when adopted the revised law will increase the number
of beneficiaries by 30,000 by 2016, which will require additional 8
billion drams.
According to the labor and social security ministry, given that by 2016
the minimum monthly salary is to rise to 80,000 drams, a non-working
woman will receive about 365,000 drams in maternity allowance. The
net amount will be 274,000 drams). ($ 1 - 409.40 drams). -0--
http://arka.am/en/news/society/official_defends_controversial_government_plan_to_ cut_maternity_benefits_/#sthash.EMLTeCEG.dpuf