YEREVAN. – There is no problem if the National Assembly (NA) will not have time to pass the 2019 State Budget, Armenia’s Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Wednesday told reporters.

In response to Armenian News-NEWS.am’s query as to whether the current parliament might not have enough time debate on and pass the draft for next year’s state budget, Pashinyan said: “The law provides for such cases. And if we can’t [have the time to pass the budget], there is no problem.”

Under the Constitution of Armenia, if next year’s draft budget is not passed, it functions with the previous year’s proportions; this means that the social spending which is envisaged by the 2019 budget will not be carried out until the budget is passed.

The parliamentary debates on the draft 2019 State Budget are slated for October 29. About fifteen days are envisioned for respective debates at the NA standing committees. Subsequently, the draft shall be debated on during the current legislature’s session that will be convened on November 14. But in all probability, this National Assembly will be dissolved fourteen days later.