Another 40 cities and villages of Syunik and Gegharkunik Provinces will become borderline cities and villages. This is what Armenia’s Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Mesrop Arakelyan said in response to deputies’ questions during today’s question-and-answer session with government officials in parliament.

According to him, the list of such settlements will nearly double.

“The residents will benefit from all the existing privileges for borderline villages. Through the support program, 50% of the bills for natural gas will be reimbursed in case of consumption of up to 360 cubic meters a month, and 50% of the bills for electricity will be reimbursed in case of consumption of up to 120 kilowatts per hour in one month,” Arakelyan explained, adding that 50% of the fees for irrigation water will be reimbursed for the owners of lands.

The authorities will also continue to reimburse the land and property taxes for farmers whose gardens and fields are located in the zone of potential shootings.

“Children in those borderline cities and villages will receive textbooks free-of-charge,” the minister noted.