A publication has been circulating on social networks in recent days, according to which the government is preparing to provide up to 2 million drams of support to citizens over the age of 63.

Attached to the publication is a photo of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, images of an elderly man’s cane and Armenian drams, and users are advised to go to the link arm.domru-info.ru/?p=8070 for details.

At first glance, the publication is based on real information. However, a study of the content of the document shows that it is presented without a number of important details, as a result of which the reader may get the wrong impression.

Half-truth or manipulation?

In May 2026, the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia submitted for public discussion on the e-draft.am platform the “Program for the realization of the economic potential of citizens aged 63 and over and support for business initiatives.” The beneficiaries of the program are citizens of the Republic of Armenia aged 63 to 72 who are already engaged in economic activity or want to start, restart, expand or continue entrepreneurial activity.

In other words, the information about support of up to 2 million drams mentioned in the publication is not entirely fabricated. The official draft does indeed provide support of up to 2 million drams per beneficiary. However, there is an important difference here: this amount is not intended for every citizen over 63 years of age, as a social payment or simply as monetary support based on age.

To receive support, a citizen must have a business idea and submit an appropriate application. Ideas will be evaluated using a point system, taking into account their feasibility, the applicant’s experience and skills, the potential for stability and profitability of economic activity, the justification of the requested amount, and the possible impact on the economic development of the community. For a positive assessment, it is necessary to collect at least 60 points.

Therefore, the formulation “the state will give 2 million drams to all citizens over 63 years of age” is incorrect. We are talking about targeted economic support, which will be provided to beneficiaries who meet the relevant conditions and have passed the assessment stage.

It is also important not to confuse the amounts of 2 million and 2 billion drams mentioned in the program. Up to 2 million drams is the maximum support envisaged for one beneficiary, while the maximum funding limit envisaged for the implementation of the program in 2026 is 2 billion drams.

The justification for the program also states that the estimated number of potential beneficiaries is about 1,719. At the same time, the document presents separate calculations on the full possible financial impact of the program, but the financing for 2026 is limited to 2 billion drams.

The content of the program is also important to understand. The support is intended for the implementation of a business idea and is not a freely usable social payment. The draft also defines the expenses for which the money cannot be used. In particular, it provides for a restriction on salaries, the acquisition of real estate or a personal vehicle, the repayment of loans, fines and penalties, and other personal consumption expenses. This circumstance also shows that we are not talking about a payment replacing a pension.

One of the most misleading possible interpretations of the publication is that the government is going to deprive citizens over 63 of their pension or offer 2 million drams instead of a pension. However, there is no such provision in the studied official draft. The document concerns the promotion of economic activity of older citizens in order to use their experience and professional abilities in economic activities. It does not stipulate that a citizen is deprived of a pension at the age of 63, is obliged to work or is obliged to start a business.

There are also mechanisms for monitoring the implementation of the program and the use of funds. The authorized body is the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia, and the evaluation of applications must be carried out by an evaluation committee formed by order of the head of the ministry. Mechanisms for excluding conflicts of interest and monitoring the program are also envisaged to ensure that the support is used for the intended purpose and to assess its socio-economic impact.

The website used in the publication attracts great attention. What website is arm.domru-info.ru?

A study of the link shows that it is not the website of an Armenian state body or any official Armenian structure. The main domain of the link, domru-info.ru, uses the Russian .ru domain zone. In the available search data, it was previously presented as an information website about the Dom.ru Internet provider, on Internet, television, tariffs and technical issues.

Articles from domru-info.ru were also used years ago as a source of information about Dom.ru services in publications on other websites.

It is noteworthy that the current content of the domain is no longer fits that description. The accessible version of the site presents itself as “Articles fiables” (“Reliable Articles”) and publishes mainly French entertainment and show business materials. In other words, the current thematic direction of the site has no obvious connection to Armenian social or state policy.

The arm. subdomain used in the link also does not in itself mean that the website is Armenian or has any official connection with Armenia. The subdomain name can be created by any website owner and does not confirm any state or geographical status.

Moreover, during the search, it was not possible to find public and reliable data that would clarify who currently manages or administers the arm.domru-info.ru subdomain. In old publications, one of the author names associated with domru-info.ru is Maksim Uvarov, but this data is not sufficient to consider him the author of the given Armenian subdomain or the material distributed on the social network.

Thus, the distributed publication is based on a real government project, but it is presented with the absence of essential conditions. The fact that a program has been developed to support the economic and business initiatives of citizens aged 63–72, and support of up to 2 million drams is provided for one beneficiary, is real. However, it is incorrect to present this information as if the state will simply provide 2 million drams to every citizen over the age of 63.

Moreover, the official document examined does not contain any provisions on abolishing pensions, changing the retirement age, or imposing an obligation on citizens to engage in business from the age of 63. The publication is based on a real fact, but presents the real program in an overly generalized manner, leaving out the scope of beneficiaries, the conditions for applying and evaluating, the targeted nature of the support, and the fact that 2 million drams is not an automatic amount paid to every citizen over the age of 63.

Journalist: Sargis Asatryan

The material was prepared within the framework of the Disinformation Flows Monitoring Project

#CivilSocietyCooperation #ishrarmenia #ishrfactcheck

The project is implemented with the financial support of the Federal Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany.