PRIME MINISTER SAYS SERVICES RENDERED BY GOVERNMENT TO POPULATION SHOULD BE OF HIGH QUALITY, COMPETITIVE AND ACCESSIBLE

ARMENPRESS
June 26

Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian said today the services which
the government renders to population should be of high quality,
competitive and accessible.

Speaking at the recurrent government session he said when the
government offers poor and little accessible services this brings about
people’s discontent, because they create serious problems for them
and as a result they get dissatisfied with the government performance.

He reminded that all ministries were told to make an inventory of
their services to asses the level of their quality. In this sense
he singled out the work of tax and customs authorities because tens
of thousands of people have to communicate with them. He said the
government has started sweeping reforms in both sectors.

He said the Higher Council for introduction of a new culture of
revenues management meets three times a week to discuss all incoming
issues. According to him, tax and customs authorities are told to
report all cases of breaches to the Council.

"Every attempt of intervention on part of a government official becomes
the subject of our discussions," he said, adding that the Council is
still avoiding to publicize names of those who are trying to influence
tax and customs officials because of innocence presumption.

Tigran Sarkisian said a new legislation is being drafted to ensure
transparency in this sector.

"Unfortunately, we have to register that we do not enjoy the trust
of business community, which is being declared by business people
themselves. This certainly is not positive, but what is positive is
that business people declare that publicly. Only persistent work may
bring about tangible results," he said.

According to him, "traditions that were being shaped inside customs
and tax bodies for years can not be rooted out during one day "because
thousands are corrupted."

However he added that dismissing them is not a guarantee that those
who will succeed will be clean. Therefore, he said there is the need
of institutional changes that will eradicate the negative phenomena.

Describing corruption as number one obstacle to Armenia’s progress
the prime minister said corruption must never be tolerated. The prime
minister spoke also about corruption in passport and visa department
of the police instructing appropriate agencies to propose suggestions
on radical changes in this sector.