DEVELOPMENT OF ARMENIA’S ENTREPRENEURSHIP BASICALLY HINDERED BY MONOPOLY AND CORRUPTION
PanARMENIAN.Net
May 12, 2010 – 18:22 AMT 13:22 GMT
Director of the Caucasus Research Resource Center (CRRC), PhD in
Economics Heghine Minasyan said that, according to Transparency
International, Armenia is the 120th by the level of corruption,
while Georgia is the 66th, though both countries have similar living
standards.
"First, this is conditioned by high salaries of Georgian public
servants. Second, serious improvements have been made in the Georgian
customs field. Besides, 37 000 public servants have been fired as a
result of anticorruption measures. Armenia lacks both similar pace of
struggle and similar publicity," Minasyan told journalists in Yerevan.
The economist added that in 2009 Armenia received 2.7 points out of
possible 10 points from Transparency International against 2.9 points
in 2008. Thus, the level of corruption has grown in the country.
Director of the CRRC said that, according to the results of a
public opinion poll conducted at 1515 households, corruption is
the fourth on the list of basic problems of the country, following
unemployment, poverty and general economic tasks. Meanwhile, a survey
among 400 businessmen showed that the development of entrepreneurship
is basically hindered by monopoly and corruption that are followed
by the global financial and economic crisis. At the same time,
both surveys show that corruption is specifically developed among
high-ranking officials, while the Central Electoral Commission is
named as the most corrupted institution; it is followed by health,
educational and judicial systems. Besides, only small number of
respondents believes that the Armenian government has possibility
and willingness to tackle corruption in the country.