The Armenian government has refused to reveal how much in bonuses Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, his deputy, and cabinet ministers will receive for their work in the second half of last year.
In response to a written inquiry from RFE/RL’s Armenian Service, the government said on March 24 that it could not disclose the amounts, citing freedom of information, personal data, and labor law restrictions.
The refusal contrasts with an earlier disclosure to Hetq, which reported that Pashinyan received roughly 12 million drams in bonuses for the first half of 2025.
A recent government decision only set the overall bonus allocation, indicating that more than 4.6 billion drams will be distributed to state employees by mid-year. Bonuses for top executive officials have not yet been paid.
Opposition figures and civic activists have long criticized the bonus system as a form of political corruption, arguing that such payments are meant to secure loyalty ahead of parliamentary elections expected in June.
Pashinyan has rejected those accusations, claiming the extra pay is needed both to reduce corruption risks and to keep qualified officials from leaving government for the private sector.
