Speaker Alen Simonyan Approves 15% Salary Bonuses for Parliament Staff

Speaker Alen Simonyan has approved cash bonuses equivalent to 15% of the Armenian National Assembly staff salaries; the order was signed on Monday, January 22.

This announcement comes after reports in December highlighted Speaker Alen Simonyan's decision to award substantial holiday bonuses to all members and staffers of the parliament. Laura Antonyan, head of the parliament's Public Relations and Communication Department, revealed that employees had already received two cash bonuses, each equivalent to their monthly salary, amounting to over half a billion drams ($1.25 million).

Last year, Speaker Simonyan approved almost $300,000 in bonuses.

It is noteworthy that some members of the opposition are taking a different approach to the news of the bonuses. Tigran Abrahamyan, secretary of the opposition ‘Pativ Unem’ faction, shared that he and his fellow MPs have chosen to donate their bonuses to charity.