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DEFEATING THE PURPOSE: EXPENSIVE BIO TOILET GETS BROKEN, BECOMES A LAUGHING MATTER IN TATEV
http://armenianow.com/society/48598/armenia_tourism_biotoilets_tatev_church
SOCIETY | 19.09.13 | 20:47
NAZIK ARMENAKYAN
ArmeniaNow
By GAYANE MKRTCHYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
The two biological toilets purchased by the government to spur tourism
development and placed next to Syunik's most popular, but remote
Tatev monastery and St Gregory the Illuminator church in Yerevan,
have failed to work.
The "Not Working" sign attached to the toilet in Syunik that cost the
taxpayer quite a fortunate - the two were purchased for 124 million
drams ($340,000) - stirs even higher interest among people, who
approach, study and leave thinking "what a pity". Residents of Tatev
village running their small businesses next to the monastery offer
their explanation of why the toilets worked only two days, then failed.
"A few people entered it together, and the computer system collapsed,"
they mock and laugh.
Tatev village head Murad Simonyan says he is tired of answering
questions about the bio-toilets.
"They say it was ruined by a lightening. Craftsmen came to repair it
some time ago, but it only worked one day. I have no idea why it's
not working, but would very much like to ask people in charge to come
and take it away, so that I don't have to answer questions about it
anymore. I cannot answer those," says Simonyan.
Deputy Minister of Economy Ara Petrosyan told the press that the great
number of visitors at the tourism destinations of Armenia makes it
a necessity to have such toilets.
"For example there are also places, where the flush toilets built of
tile and pumice concrete don't last a winter. This is culture that
has to be introduced gradually," he says. "This is a pilot project,
by which we are trying to show its advantages to the private sector,
in particular that one such toilet can be acquired for $170,000 and
then profit. Modern technologies are used to keep them clean."
Earlier, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan stated that the project is
profitable from business perspective and the state budget would bring
back the money allotted for their purchase via 200-dram charges.
Nonetheless, the Control Chamber looked into the Ministry of Economy
expenses and established that the money spent on the two bio-toilets
was an unjustified expenditure. The one installed in Yerevan functions
only periodically, while the one in Tatev is totally non-functional.
Minister Vahram Avanesyan believes the utilization of the toilets is
out of the ministry supervision and respective repair-related warrants
were given to the National Competitiveness Fund. The fund was, hence,
in charge of installment and utilization. The fund representatives
counter that their responsibility was to utilize, not to repair.
The Tatev village head says the money spent on the toilets was enough
to carry out the community development project, including opening
an agro market, building 'tonratun' bakeries (to make Armenian flat
bread and barbecue), by which 16 families would have jobs, while many
leave the 860-resident village for lack of employment opportunities.
President of the Association "For Sustainable Human Development"
Karine Danielyan says she has done internet research and has not
found any bio-toilet that would cost more than $1,500.
"It is unreasonable to spend that kind of money on bio-toilets given
the general situation in the country. They can still be spent on
tourism development by advertising the Armenian culture and history
to the international community," says Danielyan, adding, "If we want
Armenia to have foreign visitors other than from Diaspora, part of
that money could be spent on cleaning up the roads. I traveled to
almost half the world, but have not seen a country like Armenia,
where nature and historical-cultural monuments come hand in hand.
Regrettably, we are unable to present it to public at its best."
http://armenianow.com/society/48598/armenia_tourism_biotoilets_tatev_church
SOCIETY | 19.09.13 | 20:47
NAZIK ARMENAKYAN
ArmeniaNow
By GAYANE MKRTCHYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
The two biological toilets purchased by the government to spur tourism
development and placed next to Syunik's most popular, but remote
Tatev monastery and St Gregory the Illuminator church in Yerevan,
have failed to work.
The "Not Working" sign attached to the toilet in Syunik that cost the
taxpayer quite a fortunate - the two were purchased for 124 million
drams ($340,000) - stirs even higher interest among people, who
approach, study and leave thinking "what a pity". Residents of Tatev
village running their small businesses next to the monastery offer
their explanation of why the toilets worked only two days, then failed.
"A few people entered it together, and the computer system collapsed,"
they mock and laugh.
Tatev village head Murad Simonyan says he is tired of answering
questions about the bio-toilets.
"They say it was ruined by a lightening. Craftsmen came to repair it
some time ago, but it only worked one day. I have no idea why it's
not working, but would very much like to ask people in charge to come
and take it away, so that I don't have to answer questions about it
anymore. I cannot answer those," says Simonyan.
Deputy Minister of Economy Ara Petrosyan told the press that the great
number of visitors at the tourism destinations of Armenia makes it
a necessity to have such toilets.
"For example there are also places, where the flush toilets built of
tile and pumice concrete don't last a winter. This is culture that
has to be introduced gradually," he says. "This is a pilot project,
by which we are trying to show its advantages to the private sector,
in particular that one such toilet can be acquired for $170,000 and
then profit. Modern technologies are used to keep them clean."
Earlier, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan stated that the project is
profitable from business perspective and the state budget would bring
back the money allotted for their purchase via 200-dram charges.
Nonetheless, the Control Chamber looked into the Ministry of Economy
expenses and established that the money spent on the two bio-toilets
was an unjustified expenditure. The one installed in Yerevan functions
only periodically, while the one in Tatev is totally non-functional.
Minister Vahram Avanesyan believes the utilization of the toilets is
out of the ministry supervision and respective repair-related warrants
were given to the National Competitiveness Fund. The fund was, hence,
in charge of installment and utilization. The fund representatives
counter that their responsibility was to utilize, not to repair.
The Tatev village head says the money spent on the toilets was enough
to carry out the community development project, including opening
an agro market, building 'tonratun' bakeries (to make Armenian flat
bread and barbecue), by which 16 families would have jobs, while many
leave the 860-resident village for lack of employment opportunities.
President of the Association "For Sustainable Human Development"
Karine Danielyan says she has done internet research and has not
found any bio-toilet that would cost more than $1,500.
"It is unreasonable to spend that kind of money on bio-toilets given
the general situation in the country. They can still be spent on
tourism development by advertising the Armenian culture and history
to the international community," says Danielyan, adding, "If we want
Armenia to have foreign visitors other than from Diaspora, part of
that money could be spent on cleaning up the roads. I traveled to
almost half the world, but have not seen a country like Armenia,
where nature and historical-cultural monuments come hand in hand.
Regrettably, we are unable to present it to public at its best."