YEREVAN, August 16. / ARKA /. Armenia’s insurance companies paid a total of 5.8 billion drams in 30,373 car insurance compensation payments in the first seven months of this year, an increase of 19% compared to the first seven months of 2012n, a statement posted on the official website of Armenia’s Car Insurers’ Bureau says.

There were 382,300 vehicles insured in Armenia as of the end of July (9.6% increase from the year before). The total number of compensation claims increased by 31.7 percent to 30,531; only 296 claims were turned down, according to the statement. The payment of another 206 million drams worth compensations is still underway, it said.

Insurance bonuses in the first seven months amounted to a total of about 10.7 billion drams, 2 percent down from the year earlier. In Armenia there are currently seven insurance companies. The mandatory insurance against physical damage caused to other cars and individuals became mandatory in Armenia on January 1, 2011. ($1-406,68 drams). —0—