YEREVAN, DECEMBER 11, NOYAN TAPAN. At the December 11 sitting, the Armenian government approved the 2009 Program of State Assistance to the Small and Medium Entrepreneurship (SME). The decision was made in accordance with the requirements of Article 4 of the RA Law on State Assistance to Small and Medium Entrepreneurship. It was mentioned at the sitting that SME state assistance programs are based on the fundamental principles of the economic policy adopted by the Republic of Armenia and help develop the economy of the country, especially its remote and border settlements, and overcome the disproportions, which are the strategic and priority directions of the RA government's economic policy. The main goal of the program is to contribute, through continuous assistance, to the gradual increase of the role of SME. Among the program's goals are also the creation and strengthening of infrastructures for assistance to SME; the expansion of financial and investment opportunities of SME, while giving preference to SME entities operating in remote and border settlements; the expansion of opportunities to use instructive, information and advisory services, as well as to engage in business for start-up businessmen, noncompetitive groups in the labor market (especially for persons with limited capacities); and reduction of the unemployment in Armenia through job creation and retention of existing jobs. According to the RA Government Information and PR Department, the prime minister Tigran Sargsyan said the indicated program will be one of Armenia's priorities in 2009, while the promotion of small and medium business is one of the most important anticrisis elements.

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