Enlargement of communities will entail job cuts. This is what Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of Armenia Gnel Sanosyan said in response to questions from deputies of the “Civil Contract” faction of the National Assembly during today’s discussion on the package of bills on making amendments and supplements to the Law on Administrative and Territorial Division and related laws.

According to him, when communities were enlarged for the first time in 2016 and 2017, 1,400 people were either laid off or were simply deprived of their jobs.

“Nevertheless, 1,200 of them are currently employed. Basically, certain positions were reduced, but they were reinstated in the already enlarged communities, or new positions were announced,” Sanosyan clarified.

The minister didn’t rule out job cuts this time either. Moreover, according to him, nearly 80-90% of employees of community councils will maintain their jobs, while others might be requalified as music teachers, nannies at kindergartens, etc.