MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE RECEIVES SEVERE REPRIMAND FROM ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER

Noyan Tapan
March 4, 2010

YEREVAN, MARCH 4, NOYAN TAPAN. On the instructions of Armenian prime
minister, an internal investigation related to two civil servants
of the RA Ministry of Agriculture will start with the aim of their
dismissal. Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said at the March 4 sitting
of the government that a number of serious shortcomings were revealed
during checks conducted by the prime minister’s supervisory service
at the Ministry of Agriculture.

"Agriculture is an important sector and in 2010 we must take measures
to ensure at least a 5% growth in this sector. It means that scarce
state budgetary allocations for agricultural development should be used
most efficiently," the prime minister underlined. However, according to
him, in 2008-2009 the Audit Chamber examined the procurement process
at the ministry and revealed serious violations which were to be
eliminated – under direct control of the minister. In particular, it
was revealed that foot-and-mouth disease vaccines had been purchased
at prices exceeding their real cost.

Tigran Sargsyan said that such cases should be ruled out in 2010.

However, the studies show that the situation has deteriorated. In his
words, after receiving an alarm call from the chairman of the Audit
Chamber, the prime minister’s supervisory service conducted checks and
revealed that Hovhannes Hovhannisian, head of the Finance, Economic
and Accounting Department of the ministry, and Gevorg Tovmasian,
an employee responsible for the organization of procurement in 2010,
did not take the respective measures to rectify the situation.

"But for the supervisory service of the prime minister, we would have
suffered considerable losses. So I assign the Civil Service Council to
start an internal investigation to dismiss them from their positions,"
T. Sargsyan said.

Besides, the RA Minister of Agriculture Gerasim Alaverdian received
a severe reprimand from the prime minister for improper performance
of his duties.