The Armenian municipalities must be ready for increase in salaries, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said during the third forum of the village communities in Jermuk.

He recalled that the other day the Cabinet had approved the draft budget for 2014, which will be discussed in the National Assembly.

“Therefore, we are interested in the position of the council of elders on municipal budgets. First of all we attach importance to the wage growth and financial problems in connection with it. Many communities do not have enough resources, and we are trying to figure out the budget gaps that need to be filled,” he explained.

Increase of salaries should be regular, so the municipalities, as well as the government, should have a five-year strategy.

“In July, we set the minimum salary at 45,000, and by 2017 it should reach 70,000 drams. In other words, the minimum wage should rise significantly. And your [municipalities] budget should be consistent with this growth,” Sargsyan noted.