Eight years ago, the government considered regional governors an unnecessary burden on the state and wanted to get rid of them. In 2018, this became part of the revolutionary program. Time has shown that for the government, as before, they are now a political tool.
Following the parliamentary elections on June 20, 2021, the victorious Civil Contract party planned to reduce the powers of regional governors, which would also lead to a reduction in funds allocated from the state budget. In 2022, 5 billion 377 million drams were allocated from the state budget for the personnel of ten regional governors, a 12.10% decrease compared to 2021. In 2023, appropriations increased by 12.12%, amounting to 6 billion 28 million drams. In 2024, they decreased by 1.6%, and in 2025, they decreased again, this time by 18.7%. In 2026, the amount allocated for the personnel of all regional governors decreased by 0.5% compared to the previous year, amounting to 4 billion 798 million drams.
The execution of the personnel budget of the Lori Regional Governor’s Administration for 2025 shows that the majority of funds allocated for the regional governor’s administration’s personnel were used for salaries, bonuses, and additional payments – 503 million drams out of 562 million 459 thousand drams. Approximately 30 million drams were spent on building maintenance, utilities, social payments, and internal travel. The rest of the budget consists of computer, representation, administrative services, and so on.
In the Aragatsotn region, a large portion of the budget is also spent on salaries and bonuses: 428 million drams out of a budget of 480 million drams. The situation is not much different in other regions. Budget sizes may vary from region to region, but the goals and expenditure proportions are generally the same: that is, the majority of funds allocated for the governor’s staff are used for salaries and bonuses.
The government’s action program for 2021-2026 envisaged the creation of a unified structure and functions for regional administrations. This program was also supposed to include the implementation of measures to decentralize power, an in-depth analysis of the public sector to identify all inefficiencies, and the implementation of appropriate review efforts.
These are the government’s key promises regarding the regional administrations. Before the formation of this government, a number of changes had already been initiated and implemented, reducing the powers of regional governors and transferring them either to newly formed communities or other executive bodies.
During this period, the Pashinyan government introduced some changes to the powers of regional governors, either limiting or expanding them. Prior to last year’s legislative changes, heads of regional administrations had broader powers in the field of education: they implemented state general education programs in educational institutions and organized the work of educational institutions. Legislative changes initiated by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports resulted in schools under the jurisdiction of regional administration employees being substantively transferred to the Ministry of Higher Education and Science starting in September 2026. According to the changes, heads of regional administrations support the implementation of education legislation in educational institutions and monitor the situation on the ground. In the field of education, the head of the regional administration ensures the construction, maintenance, and operation of buildings of educational institutions operating in the region. Conducts monitoring, etc.
Changes have also occurred in the healthcare sector. Last February, a government decision transferred all regional medical centers to the Ministry of Health. The deputy head of the administration’s authority to command a police detachment was also abolished. In addition to limiting these powers, new ones were also established. For example, according to an amendment introduced in January 2026, the governor may be granted authority to manage state shares or assets.