POPULATION NATURAL GROWTH DOUBLED IN NKR

[MosJan]

POPULATION NATURAL GROWTH DOUBLED IN NKR

24.08.2001

 

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ According to the information supplied by NKR State Department of Statistics, State Register and Analysis, in January-June 2001 increase in industrial production in the Republic made 154,6% in comparison with the same period previous year. Consumer goods production increased 91,3%, which is conditioned by growth in the light and food industries. Export increased 2,4 times and import – 5,6 times. Monthly average nominal wages of employees grew 1,3%. Population money incomes increased 111,4% and growth in money expenditure made 7%. In January-June 2001 natural population growth increased 39% related to the same period previous year and more than two times compared to that of the year 1999. Mechanical growth made 271,1%.

 

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[MosJan]

ONE THOUSAND FAMILIES R-SETTLED IN KARABAGH IN 6 YEARS

The government of Nagorno Karabagh has been implementing a Return to Karabagh program since 1994, in 2000 an Armenian government affiliated department of refugees and migration started supporting its realization.

 

 

A total of 1,020 families, mostly Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan, who escaped pogroms in late 80s and early 90s, have moved to Karabagh since the launch of the program. The process of re-settling is going on.

 

 

Samvel Harutunian, a senior official of the department of refugees and migration told the daily Azg that the re-settling is carried out on a voluntary basis. The great influx of people wishing to settle down in Karabagh he ascribed to attractive conditions, set by the government of Nagorno Karabagh. According to him, the government has built brand new apartments for re-settlers each costing approximately $7,000. The apartments are given as private property, but full registration is to take place after the re-settler has resided in Karabagh for five years. Each family member is also given 6,000 square meters of private land plot in addition to 2,000 square meters adjoining the house. All travelling expenses are covered by Karabagh government. The head of the family gets a one time money allowance in the amount of 20 monthly wages and each family member is given an allowance in the amount of five wages. The re-settlers are also enjoying some tax privileges. Among the re-settlers there are people who are moving to Karabagh only proceeding from their patriotic feelings, but they are not making majority.

 

 

The lion share of the re-settlers is socially insecure section of the population, Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan who are still living in Armenia in temporary dwellings, deported former residents of Nagorno Karabagh, other refugees from volatile regions in the post-Soviet territory, new families which failed to resolve their housing problems in Armenia and Armenian unemployed.

 

 

Mr. Harutunian pointed out several other factors which are in favor of the re-settlement program. At the expense of this program the frontier villages will become stronger. The newcomers will have wonderful opportunities to cultivate the fertile land of Karabagh making their contribution to resolving the food security problem. A wide-scale re-settling is also expected to ease, to a certain degree, the social tension in Armenia proper. It is also seen as a milestone for formation of Armenia-Karabagh union.

 

 

Under current conditions a wide-scale re-settling is not possible because of lack of necessary funds, possessed by Karabagh government, which, however, annually builds about 250 new apartments. The Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) has provided funds for reconstruction of ten private houses in the village of Norashen. The program envisages resettlement of at least 25,000 families (about 100,000 people ) in the next 2-3 years. This is why the Karabagh government expects the assistance of all Armenians throughout the world.

 

 

By Marlena Hovsepian