YEREVAN. – Overall, 2,900 people are planned to be cut down in the state system of Armenia, between 2016 and 2017, Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan informed at his press conference on Friday.

In his words, the number of state employees of the country shall reduced from 22,961 to 20,059, and this includes the staffs of ministers as well as of state-run agencies, organizations and companies.

Karapetyan noted that, as a result of this downsizing, they plan to save close to 5 billion and 360 million drams (about US$11,042,670), annually, within the state-run institutions of Armenia.

“Many [people] may focus on the social aspect of the matter: the job losses,” added the PM. “But, on the other hand, we will have a more efficient state apparatus, the repeat of functions will disappear, and this means that the state ‘machine’ will move faster.”