Tag Archives: Cabinet sitting

Society Should Be Enabled To Monitor Government Activities

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The first Cabinet sitting of 2014 was held today, chaired by Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan.

Opening the meeting, the Prime Minister addressed the audience: “Good afternoon, dear colleagues. I wish you all a happy New Year and Merry Christmas. May 2014 bring us new achievements in public service. We are in for a hard work’s year. We have approved per-agency priorities for 2014. My first directive therefore is that you get them through to the public-at-large so that society could monitor the activities of ministries and agencies.

Down to the agenda, the meeting approved a substantiated 100-point program of government activities, as well as 77 priorities for the year 2014. The Government decided that the Industrial Development Fund shall be the main operator of the activities of export-oriented industrial strategy policy of the Republic of Armenia and the Government-approved annual program of State support for activities under the strategy of export-oriented industrial policy.

The Government next established that the Enterprise Incubator Foundation would be the main operator on the activities of the program of State support of the technology center of Gyumri. The decision provides that upon completion of the building at Gai-1 in Gyumri, before registration of the building, the maintenance of said real estate will be carried out by the Enterprise Incubator Foundation. Any such assets acquired with a view to implementing the annual programs of Gyumri Techno Park to a total book value of about AMD70mn shall be donated to Enterprise Incubator Foundation.

The Government approved the concept of a model disability assessment system based on the World Health Organization-drafted international classification of functions, as well as a timetable for its implementation.

The Government agreed to the proposal on signing an agreement between the governments of Armenia and Ukraine on cooperation in the field of seismic protection and a memorandum of understanding between the Governments of the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of India on founding a telemedicine network in Armenia.

Air Communications To Be Liberalized In Armenia

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A Cabinet sitting was held today, chaired by Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan.

The government first approved a program to ensure competitive and continued provision of air transport services, established a project implementation task force and endorsed its composition.

After assessing several draft projects, it turned out that the policy of open skies will have the greatest positive impact on the economy, leading to jobs and growth in the number of passengers, as well as to reduced flight tariffs. The meeting set up a task force was set up, headed by the Minister of Economy and approved its composition.

Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan reminded that there have been heated discussions over this issue and there were many contradictory approaches, from strict regulation up to the option of maximum liberalization.

“In order to take the best decision over this issue of strategic importance, the President ordered the National Competitiveness Council to sign a contract with one of the world’s most famous companies McKinsey. The latter hired the best professionals in this sector in order to develop a strategy for the Republic of Armenia.

The strategy was twice discussed with the President of the Republic of Armenia. McKinsey presented detailed reports and analyses, their experts visited Armenia several times and the result was a concept which is now submitted to your judgment.

According to the world’s best experts in this field, Armenia should go along the path of liberalization to promote GDP growth, create new jobs and make passenger traffic more comfortable and less expensive.

These are those basic principles reflected in our strategy, which specifies steps, measures and the timing of how these reforms should be carried out in the Republic of Armenia. We still have 5 days to work with the professionals of McKinsey in order to localize this paper to the maximum possible extent and make it feasible for our country. I am therefore asking all the stakeholders to continue working with the Minister of Economy. McKinsey experts will be available to provide all-out assistance, additional explanations and advice.”

The government passed a dozen decisions to amend relevant decrees adopted in 2002-2012 concerning the licensing process, the procedure for free granting of repatriation certificates, the approval of Dilijan International School program and a list of project implementation entities.

The Government approved a set of draft amendments to the Judicial Code of the Republic of Armenia and 8 other laws to create a new independent and self-governing judicial body – the Council of Judges, introduce a more efficient system of distribution of cases among judges, enact the principle of mandatory reporting by courts and judges, as well as to appoint court presidents for a limited period of time.

The meeting agenda comprised some 60 items altogether.

Ministers To Shoulder Greater Responsibility

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6696_ru_3 A Cabinet sitting was held today, chaired by acting Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan.

Pursuant to the President’s decree on 2013 spring call-up and demobilization campaign, the Government decided to set up a central military draft board to streamline conscription activities, as well as regional (including Yerevan) committees to provide for due coordination of the spring campaign in the regions. In addition, the Government approved the staffing of the central medical commission.

Based on the law on procurements, the Government amended one of its earlier decisions relating to the procurement procedure. Acting Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said the decision was adopted in compliance with the bid of numerous SNCOs and government agencies seeking authority to make direct procurements for up to one million dram worth of goods and equipment.

Another decision was adopted to establish technical specifications and maximum prices for some types of goods purchased by government department and public agencies.

Either this decision was commented on by the acting head of government. “All the ministers must keep this procedure under control as they are personally responsible for the problem. The Ministry of Finance has finalized the list of those articles we procure year by year – water, meat, pens, potatoes, fuel and so on. A stricter filter will henceforth be applied to determine the product types beyond which no procurements can be made. You will have to justify your choice, if you want to buy something specific, say a special kind of pen or paper. This is quite a tough arrangement as it rules out any purchase of goods at unreasonably high cost and puts the responsibility on the ministers.

The government established a procedure to follow while finalizing the citizens’ individual (personal) database, including for submittal of the 2012 data to the competent authority and incorporating them in the State pension system, as well as addressing inaccuracies in the applicable mechanisms.

The meeting approved the proposal on making redistributions in the loan agreement on Yerevan combined cycle power unit construction project, which was signed between the Government of Armenia and the Japanese Bank of International Cooperation in 2005.

The Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs was allocated over AMD 1.5mn for transfer to Armenia’s badminton and chess federations for participation in the first international school sports festival of CIS-member countries due to be held this April 21 to 27 in Moscow.

The Ministry was provided AMD28mn to make available to Armenia’s national archery federation for hosting the second round of the European Grand Prix in Echmiadzin from May 27 through June 1, 2013.