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ARMENIA TRIES TO ACHIEVE DEVELOPMENT GOALS OF MILLENNIUM

Politics

Today the Ministry for Coordination of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Operations of Armenia and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) inaugurated a new project on the Establishment of the Municipal Service System.

The aim of the project is to support decentralization and help strengthen communities by focusing on the legislative, educational, technical and operational systems that are necessary to ensure viable, accountable and effective local administrations.

Within the framework of the project launched by Mr. Hovik Abrahamyan, Minister for the Coordination of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Operations, and Ms. Lise Grande, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative, a package of legal acts aimed at ensuring viable municipal service systems will be introduced. Steps will also be taken to introduce performance-based budgeting at the local level and training on fiscal decentralization will be provided to community heads, members of local councils and municipal civil servants.

”Together with the Government of Armenia we are trying to strengthen local communities. This is particularly important because small villages and former industrial towns have suffered enormously during the past decade. Their economic viability has been undermined and large parts of their populations have been forced to emigrate. To ensure that Armenia remains strong and unified and that no one is left behind, the country needs effective and accountable local administrations, capable of providing public services and supporting the general needs of the community”, Ms. Grande noted.

The Establishment of Municipal Service System project is a two-year project with a budget of USD 312,700. To ensure successful implementation, a Steering Committee will be formed comprised of representatives of UNDP, Ministry for Coordination of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Operations, the Public Administration Academy of Armenia and other partners.