The profile commission of parliament sent for revision the bill of  Armenian government on reduction of New Year holidays

ArmInfo. The Standing Committee on State and Legal Issues and Human Rights of the Armenian Parliament sent a government bill on the reduction of New Year holidays in the country for revision.

In particular, the Commission was not persuaded by the arguments of 

the representative of the Government of Armenia, Deputy Minister of 

Labor and Social Affairs Tadevos Avetisyan, and the rationale for the 

bill on the reduction of New Year holidays.

Avetisyan, presenting the reasons for the sensational bill in the 

profile commission of the parliament, assured that the need to adopt 

this bill is caused by the desire to leave only national holidays on 

the calendar, for example the New Year, which was traditionally 

called Armenian and based on the traditions of the Armenian people. 

At the same time, the deputy minister noted that the national 

holidays are those that appeared in ancient times. Avetisyan also 

expressed his confidence that stretching the New Year holidays from 

the socio-economic point of view is not reasonable, and the adoption 

of this bill is aimed at ensuring the normal functioning of the 

state's social, economic and financial systems.

Vice Speaker of the Parliament from the ruling Republican Party of 

Armenia Arpine Hovhannisyan, as well as the deputy from the 

Tsaroukyan bloc Gevorg Petrosyan severely criticized Avetisyan's 

speech and the justification justified, describing it as a school 

essay. Following the discussion, the profile commission proposed to 

postpone the discussion of this bill and discuss it after making 

appropriate changes and preparing a new justification.

In substantiation of the bill it is noted that there are not such a 

number of paid non-working days, as in Armenia, in particular, 28 

calendar days of annual leave plus 15 non-working days of holidays 

and memorable days, even in developed countries. The current 

legislation, as the document says, is inappropriate from a 

socio-economic point of view.

At the end of last year, the Government of Armenia initiated 

legislative changes, which, on the basis of results of 3, 4 and 5 

January, will be recognized as working days. Corresponding amendments 

to the RA Law "On Holidays and Memorable Dates" were approved at a 

government meeting on December 14. As the head of the government 

apparatus Vahe Stepanyan stated, if the bill is passed by the 

parliament and the amendments come into force on June 1, 2018, 

already in 2019 the New Year holidays in Armenia will end on January 

2.

In substantiation of the bill it is noted that there are not such a 

number of paid non-working days, as in Armenia, in particular, 28 

calendar days of annual leave plus 15 non-working days of holidays 

and memorable days, even in developed countries. The current 

legislation, as the document says, is inappropriate from a 

socio-economic point of view.