ARMENIA TO COMPLETE ELABORATION OF SECOND ANTICORRUPTION STRATEGY BY NEXT SUMMER
ARKA
Nov 7, 2007
YEREVAN, November 7. /ARKA/. Armenia plans to complete the elaboration
of the second anticorruption strategy by next summer, Chairman of
the monitoring group, Assistant to the RA President Gevorg Mheryan
told reporters.
According to him, the strategic program of corruption control approved
on November 6, 2003, has been completed.
"The first anticorruption program envisaged legislative reforms and
I can note that we accomplished the tasks set to the Government this
summer," Mheryan said.
According to him, Armenia’s commitments to a number of international
organizations, including the Group of Countries against Corruption
(GRECO) and the World Bank, necessitated the elaboration of a new
anticorruption program which envisages new mechanisms of control over
legislation after reforms.
Mheryan reported that the new strategy is being elaborated – the task
group is elaborating a technical plan.
"We have rather vague ideas now, but we plan to have a principal
structure by May-June 2008, which is supposed to improve civil
society’s control and facilitate the completion of legislative
reforms," Mheryan said. He added that it is a long-term program. As
regards the financing of the strategy elaboration, Mheryan pointed
out that the RA Government is negotiating with donor organizations
though the cost of the program has not yet been determined.
"The donor organizations working in this field expressed
their readiness to render both financial and personnel
assistance to Armenia. The process is expected to be rather
transparent. Specifically, the OSCE office in Yerevan will hold
contests to attract specialists and supervise financing," Mheryan said.
On November 6, 203, the RA Government approved a strategic program of
corruption control, which was elaborated on a $300,000 grant allocated
by the World Bank.
In 2007, the Transparency International agency, which conducted a
survey of corruption throughout the world, ranked Armenia 99th among
180 states.