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WILL MARGAR OHANYAN REVEAL CORRUPTION SCHEMES?
Naira Hayrumyan
Lragir.am News
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/country23290.html
16:48:04 - 09/09/2011
Since our independence the Armenians have developed a unique ability
to generate 500% profit without any investments.
In the Soviet times when everything was state-run, the greater part of
the population lived at the expense of the establishment they worked
for. Workers carried away goods produced by the factories they worked
in, builders sold construction materials, drivers used office cars to
earn extra money, officials drove office cars for their personal needs.
After independence and privatization, it seemed that people would stop
stealing public property and would not protect private property too.
20 years have passed, and we still observe the Soviet traditions.
Margar Ohanyan ran three minibus routes on petrol allocated for police
cars, and forced traffic wardens to have their office cars washed in
his carwashes.
Once we were trying to explain to an Iranian Armenian what "writing
off" the costs means. He could not understand that "state-run" meant
ownerless. That the budgets of the ministries are calculated so as
to include the money that goes into the pockets of the leadership,
and privately-run companies that participate in "tenders" include
money for kickbacks in their budgets.
No Armenian official will set up a business without making sure to
raise the initial capital, raw materials, maintenance at the expense
of the Treasury or anyone else. Senior army officers work hectares
of land, using diesel for the tanks, soldiers are "used" as workers,
so their gross and net profits are almost similar. Costs are zero.
investing their own money in their own business is considered
shameful. Others may laugh at them. Don't you have the brains to make
money at the expense of others? And the Armenians do not go for a
business with a net profit of 100%.
Those who make the state budget know what part of it will be spent on
real work, and what part will go to officials. It will be meaningless
to fight corruption until "costs" on the budgets of ministries and
departments are cut.
It makes no sense to fight monopolies until limitations are imposed
on excessive profit, tax arbitrariness for those who draw 500% profit
and those whose net profit is 20%.
How will Margar Ohanyan behave in court? Will he reveal the corruption
schemes that overwhelm the police and other agencies? In this sense,
it is interesting if the matter will be brought up in court at all.
The fact that Hovhannes Tamamyan hasn't faced the court makes me think
that they were not arrested in order to give testimonies, they were
isolated rather, otherwise they might have conveyed certain things.
Naira Hayrumyan
Lragir.am News
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/country23290.html
16:48:04 - 09/09/2011
Since our independence the Armenians have developed a unique ability
to generate 500% profit without any investments.
In the Soviet times when everything was state-run, the greater part of
the population lived at the expense of the establishment they worked
for. Workers carried away goods produced by the factories they worked
in, builders sold construction materials, drivers used office cars to
earn extra money, officials drove office cars for their personal needs.
After independence and privatization, it seemed that people would stop
stealing public property and would not protect private property too.
20 years have passed, and we still observe the Soviet traditions.
Margar Ohanyan ran three minibus routes on petrol allocated for police
cars, and forced traffic wardens to have their office cars washed in
his carwashes.
Once we were trying to explain to an Iranian Armenian what "writing
off" the costs means. He could not understand that "state-run" meant
ownerless. That the budgets of the ministries are calculated so as
to include the money that goes into the pockets of the leadership,
and privately-run companies that participate in "tenders" include
money for kickbacks in their budgets.
No Armenian official will set up a business without making sure to
raise the initial capital, raw materials, maintenance at the expense
of the Treasury or anyone else. Senior army officers work hectares
of land, using diesel for the tanks, soldiers are "used" as workers,
so their gross and net profits are almost similar. Costs are zero.
investing their own money in their own business is considered
shameful. Others may laugh at them. Don't you have the brains to make
money at the expense of others? And the Armenians do not go for a
business with a net profit of 100%.
Those who make the state budget know what part of it will be spent on
real work, and what part will go to officials. It will be meaningless
to fight corruption until "costs" on the budgets of ministries and
departments are cut.
It makes no sense to fight monopolies until limitations are imposed
on excessive profit, tax arbitrariness for those who draw 500% profit
and those whose net profit is 20%.
How will Margar Ohanyan behave in court? Will he reveal the corruption
schemes that overwhelm the police and other agencies? In this sense,
it is interesting if the matter will be brought up in court at all.
The fact that Hovhannes Tamamyan hasn't faced the court makes me think
that they were not arrested in order to give testimonies, they were
isolated rather, otherwise they might have conveyed certain things.