The meeting with the My Step parliamentary faction was devoted to our future actions, the vision of the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Development and possible cooperation. This is what Minister of Territorial Administration and Development Suren Papikyan told journalists after his meeting with MPs of the My Step parliamentary faction of the National Assembly on 1 March.

Talking about the future actions, he stated that the draft law on territorial administration would be introduced in the National Assembly and that reduction of staffs of regional governors’ offices would arise from the draft law, adding that the Ministry plans on laying off nearly 30% of the employees of regional governors’ offices.

When asked if there would be 30% reduction at all regional governors’ offices, the Minister said that the staffs of certain regional governors’ offices might be cut less than others. “This will lead to optimal management. Based on our study, 40% of the employees don’t do their jobs. We want to make management more effective instead of leaving people unemployed. We need professionals,” he said.

When told that the new government is laying off the in-laws, friends and acquaintances of former government officials to hire the in-laws, friends and acquaintances of the new government officials, Papikyan asked to bring an example and stated that there was no such thing.