YEREVAN, DECEMBER 26, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA Social Insurance State Fund had both achievements and difficulties during the last year, Vazgen Khachikian, the fund Chairman mentioned at the December 26 event dedicated to the 15th anniversary of the fund. In his words, if formerly the fund solved only the problem of gathering social payments and giving pensions in time, then at present it does works aimed to continual rise of pensions. V.Khachikian mentioned that in the first half of 2006 gathering of social payments was overfulfilled 7.3% or 8 bln drams (about 19 mln U.S. dollars), making 39 bln 145 mln drams. It was also mentioned that the additional payment of one working year will add 50 drams as well from January 1, making 230 drams, as a result of what the size of middle pension will add 2000 drams and make 13.8 thousand drams. In V.Khachikian's words, about 432 thousand hired employees pays social payments for pensions of 530 thousand pensioners. On the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the fund, V.Khachikian was awarded the RA Prime Minister's memorial medal, and by RA Defence Minister Serge Sargsian's decree, with the Garegin Nzhdeh medal, and by RA Police Chief Hayk Haroutiunian's decree, the medal for Strengthening Cooperation. A group of employees of the sphere was also awarded medals, letters of thank and souvenirs.

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