Thursday, 5 October 2017
PM instructs to comply with Armenia’s international commitment to combat corruption
A Cabinet sitting was held today, chaired by Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan. Prior to the discussion of the agenda, the Prime Minister gave a number of instructions. The Premier’s first instruction called for the fulfillment of Armenia’s international commitments to curb corruption in the country.
“We have repeatedly stated our determination to combat corruption. Last year, we initiated and implemented a number of substantive legislative and practical reforms. The measures envisaged for 2018 will be evaluated by a number of international organizations. They will specifically assess the activities carried out within the framework of the Anticorruption Action Plan of the Economic Cooperation and Development Organization and the UN Convention against Corruption,” the Prime Minister said.
In view of the above, as well as given the fact that the recommendations specified in the aforementioned documents are of interdepartmental nature, Karen Karapetyan instructed the Minister of Justice to summarize them and submit a proposal on the steps to take in this direction.
The Chief of Government Staff was instructed to prepare a draft recommendation of the Prime Minister on the basis of the information submitted by the Minister of Justice concerning the implementation of actions under their jurisdiction by all interested bodies within a reasonable timeframe. The Prime Minister urged him to closely monitor the process and report back on a regular basis.
The Premier’s next instruction had to do with the development of IT support tools. The Prime Minister gave a month’s time to the Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technology and the Executive Directors of the Center for Strategic Initiatives and the Development Fund of Armenia to develop and submit to the Government Staff an action plan on the development of IT product exports, business skills and capacities.
“We have huge potential to create an applied product here, we have good ideas, but we lack marketing skills, and we clearly need to back this industry now,” the Head of Government said.
Karen Karapetyan also instructed the competent authorities to take stock damage caused by road accidents and use the funds received as compensation to repair the damage.
In an effort to ensure the enforcement of the Tax Code of the Republic of Armenia, the Government approved a procedure for approval of business plans and calculation of extra wages, which is expected to enable the use of profit tax benefits. Accordingly, the State will support businesses to the extent of 30% of the profit tax in order to help them generate new jobs. Thus, the decision will promote the creation of new jobs.
The Prime Minister urged to use such tools and procedures as will not lead to artificial difficulties for businesses.
The meeting approved a methodological instruction on the development, presentation and control of strategic documents affecting the State Revenue and Expenditure, which aims to regulate the process of compiling, submitting and controlling strategic documents affecting the budget receipts and direct costs.
The Cabinet next approved the Government’s legislative initiative on amending the Law on Notarization, as well as on making additions to the Law on State Duty. As a result of the proposed arrangements, the institution of performance endorsement will be strengthened resulting in fast and accurate implementation of notary transactions and higher quality of services provided to citizens. In addition, the courts’ workload will be reduced considerably.
Due to the necessity of evaluating the effectiveness of State-supported commercial organizations, the Government adopted a relevant decision. Accordingly, it is envisaged to not only define efficiency standards, but also to evaluate the effectiveness of organizations and the work of their governing bodies. As a result, transparency of the activities of these organizations will be ensured for the public, the Government and potential investors.
In conclusion, the Cabinet meeting agreed to sign an agreement on cooperation in the field of veterinary services between the governments of the Republic of Armenia and the Islamic Republic of Iran. The agreement is aimed at developing bilateral cooperation by facilitating the trade of goods, in particular. It is also envisaged to set up a joint commission for the development of cooperation in the field of veterinary medicine.
