ARMENIAN PRESIDENT HIGHLIGHTS PUBLIC SAFETY

news.am
Dec 21 2009
Armenia

The Control Service of the President of the Republic of Armenian
revealed gross violations in the work of notaries public; ten of them
were punished, Head of the Service Hovhannes Hovsepyan told reporters.

As an example he cited the alienation of 150 common land plots without
community councils’ permission. Hovsepyan also reported violations with
the use of cash registers. He said that the Control Service tightened
control over entertainment and public catering establishments,
drugstore, food service companies and medical institutions.

The Service revealed 29% shadow employment. Hovsepyan said that illegal
registration of companies allegedly owned by disabled people, single
old people or even down-and-outs cause serious damage to the state
budget. Criminal proceedings were initiated, but the actual owners
of the companies have not been found.

Hovsepyan also criticized the work of traffic police. He pointed out
that the traffic police had drawn up only three reports on failed
checkups. After the Control Service started inspections, the number of
such reports reached 150,000. "Thirty-six of 50 violations of traffic
rules were not registered at all, nine were improperly registered,
and only five were legal," Hovsepyan said. Seventeen officers were
punished. The inspections also revealed failures to pay for what is
known as "gold" license plate numbers. Hovsepyan also reported that 33m
AMD purchases were made in defiance of the RA Law on State Purchases,
and those responsible were punished.

The Control Service also revealed violations in the work of the
RA Ministry of Emergencies. Representatives of only 120 of 320,000
entities were held responsible for minor violations, whereas inspectors
registered dozens of violations. Only three entities have been closed
over recent years, whereas, according to the documents, over 1,000
of them were to be closed. The Armenian President has focused his
attention on the safety of public places, especially after the recent
tragedy in Perm.

As regards the RA Rescue Service, only 70 of its 105 offices served
the purpose. After inspections were conducted, their number reached
85. The others do not serve the indented purposes. Specifically,
one of the offices near Lake Sevan was turned into a holiday center,
and five others are walled around.

Hovsepyan said that the violations will not remain unpunished, and
preventive measures will be taken.