YEREVAN. – Next year Armenia will increase the volume of government procurement by 4.5 percent up to nearly $1.08 billion (AMD 450-460 billion), Finance Minister said during the budget debates in parliament.

Excluding the foreign loan programs, the government procurement will total around AMD 270 billion, Davit Sargsyan said.

“The figures are higher than expected for this year. In 2013 the volume of public procurement, without credit programs, and with them was set at around 259 and 440 billion respectively. It is difficult to immediately name the exact ratio of local and imported goods, but I can say that in terms of growth ratio the local goods are ahead of the imported ones,” the Minister noted.