EXPERT: ARMENIAN PRESIDENT'S PASSING JUDGEMENT UPON THE GOVERNMENT WAS OF A DECLARATIVE NATURE
arminfo
Tuesday, September 18, 15:18
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan's passing judgement upon the
government was more of the declarative nature, political expert,
Richard Giragossian, told journalists today, when asked if the
president's criticism may be followed by the premier's resignation.
He also added that one should not look for any political context
in the president's speech, as it is not for the first time that the
president sharply criticized the government, but it was not followed
by any specific action. "I think that this time as well the situation
is similar. One may make prediction, if specific steps follow the
president's criticism, as it is simply impossible to change the
situation only by words", - the expert said.
To note, on 16 September President Serzh Sargsyan invited a meeting
at the Government of the Republic of Armenia which was attended by the
leaders of the executive bodies headed by the Prime Minister, with the
participation of the Chiefs of the Presidential and Government Staffs,
RA Prosecutor General, Mayor of Yerevan, Heads of the standing agencies
and the President of the RA National Academy of Sciences.
After the introductory remarks of the President, the Head of the
RA Presidential Oversight Service Hovhannes Hovsepian presented the
main results and conclusions of the investigation conducted by the
Service in the area of government procurement. At the report presented
were in detail structural and administrative problems revealed in the
decentralized process of procurement after the adoption of the RA Law
on Procurement. According to the RA Presidential Oversight Service,
participants to the system of procurement allow some occurrences which
deviate from the requirements and principles of the legislation on
procurement. The authorized structures do not fully carry out their
responsibility while the clients beside the inadequate execution of
their responsibility, using loopholes in the sub-legislation in some
cases act in a deliberate manner, failing to ensure a competitive,
efficient and transparent procurement processes.
On this issue, the President expressed his overt discontent with
the works of all those responsible, underscoring that the mentioned
occurrences were the results of the shortcomings in the works the
responsible officials, who failed to introduce in time efficient
regulations as well as of the unscrupulousness of the customer
agencies in the procurement process. Serzh Sargsyan reminded that the
procurement procedures have been decentralized by the law so that
every given minister or head of the agency assumes responsibility
and so that the state can purchase efficient, i.e. low cost and high
quality goods and services, and not vice verse.
At the conclusion of the meeting, President Serzh Sargsyan directed
the participants in the meeting - each in his own Ministry or agency,
to invite meetings and explain explicitly to the staff that in case
of such failings the whole business will not finish with a reprimand
or discharge. "And I expect initiatives first of all from you,"
President Sargsyan stressed, addressing those present at the meeting.
The President of Armenia noted that in many areas - urban development,
transport and communications, defense, health care and especially
control over the medication market, etc., there are problems related
to the procurement and efficient administration of the state budget.
He gave strict instructions to the RA National Security Service and
Office of the Prosecutor General to seriously look into these issues.
"I want you to become not formal but our true allies in this issue
and display genuine interest in the resolution of the highlighted
problems," President Serzh Sargsyan told the participants of the
meeting.
arminfo
Tuesday, September 18, 15:18
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan's passing judgement upon the
government was more of the declarative nature, political expert,
Richard Giragossian, told journalists today, when asked if the
president's criticism may be followed by the premier's resignation.
He also added that one should not look for any political context
in the president's speech, as it is not for the first time that the
president sharply criticized the government, but it was not followed
by any specific action. "I think that this time as well the situation
is similar. One may make prediction, if specific steps follow the
president's criticism, as it is simply impossible to change the
situation only by words", - the expert said.
To note, on 16 September President Serzh Sargsyan invited a meeting
at the Government of the Republic of Armenia which was attended by the
leaders of the executive bodies headed by the Prime Minister, with the
participation of the Chiefs of the Presidential and Government Staffs,
RA Prosecutor General, Mayor of Yerevan, Heads of the standing agencies
and the President of the RA National Academy of Sciences.
After the introductory remarks of the President, the Head of the
RA Presidential Oversight Service Hovhannes Hovsepian presented the
main results and conclusions of the investigation conducted by the
Service in the area of government procurement. At the report presented
were in detail structural and administrative problems revealed in the
decentralized process of procurement after the adoption of the RA Law
on Procurement. According to the RA Presidential Oversight Service,
participants to the system of procurement allow some occurrences which
deviate from the requirements and principles of the legislation on
procurement. The authorized structures do not fully carry out their
responsibility while the clients beside the inadequate execution of
their responsibility, using loopholes in the sub-legislation in some
cases act in a deliberate manner, failing to ensure a competitive,
efficient and transparent procurement processes.
On this issue, the President expressed his overt discontent with
the works of all those responsible, underscoring that the mentioned
occurrences were the results of the shortcomings in the works the
responsible officials, who failed to introduce in time efficient
regulations as well as of the unscrupulousness of the customer
agencies in the procurement process. Serzh Sargsyan reminded that the
procurement procedures have been decentralized by the law so that
every given minister or head of the agency assumes responsibility
and so that the state can purchase efficient, i.e. low cost and high
quality goods and services, and not vice verse.
At the conclusion of the meeting, President Serzh Sargsyan directed
the participants in the meeting - each in his own Ministry or agency,
to invite meetings and explain explicitly to the staff that in case
of such failings the whole business will not finish with a reprimand
or discharge. "And I expect initiatives first of all from you,"
President Sargsyan stressed, addressing those present at the meeting.
The President of Armenia noted that in many areas - urban development,
transport and communications, defense, health care and especially
control over the medication market, etc., there are problems related
to the procurement and efficient administration of the state budget.
He gave strict instructions to the RA National Security Service and
Office of the Prosecutor General to seriously look into these issues.
"I want you to become not formal but our true allies in this issue
and display genuine interest in the resolution of the highlighted
problems," President Serzh Sargsyan told the participants of the
meeting.