Armenian government expects private sector’s help in fighting corruption

YEREVAN, November 19. /ARKA/. The government of Armenia needs long-term participation of the private sector and the public at large in the reforms kicked off by the ‘velvet revolution’, including, in the fight against corruption, the acting Minister of Justice Artak Zeynalyan said today.

"The participation of civil society and businesses in reforms is of particular importance. Although the focus is often on corruption risks in the public sector, private businesses are not protected either from corruption risks, which makes the joint fight a necessity," he said at a conference on cutting corruption risks in private sector. 

Zeynalyan said innovative technologies can raise the effectiveness of the joint fight against corruption and reduce the human factor.

According to the acting Minister of Economic Development and Investments Tigran Khachatryan,  Armenia needs to increase the level  of productivity, while corruption risks are one of the most important factors negatively affecting it.

He said in 2017, one working person’s contribution to the national GDP was about $5.5 per 1 hour, while in European countries it was 87 euros and $60-65 in the US. ‘We have to keep these figures in mind if we are going to create a truly competitive economy," he said.

"Foreign investments go to those countries where the level of transparency and accessibility of the economy is high, and where the rules of the private sector are clear," he said. 

Armenia scored 35 points out of 100 on the 2017 Corruption Perceptions Index reported by Transparency International. Corruption Index in Armenia averaged 30.41 Points from 1999 until 2017, reaching an all time high of 37 Points in 2014 and a record low of 25 Points in 2000.-0-