November 25, 2010 - 14:55 AMT
Reforms introduced in Armenia’s government procurement system

Head of the Department of Internal Financial Control and Methodology of Government Procurement at the RA Ministry of Finance, Karen Brutyan said that the Ministry has drafted a new bill on Government Procurement and submitted it to the RA National Assembly.

The bill, due to its urgency, will be adopted until the end of 2010, Brutyan told a press conference on November 25.

“If we have an efficient system of government procurement, we will have a good financial system as well,” he said.

Basic amendments envisaged in the bill are aimed at improving the legislation with consideration of the best international experience, transferring to the electronic process of government procurement, which is envisaged to be introduced from 2011.

According to Brutyan, the new bill also envisages establishment of the Council on Appeal against Government Procurement, while the organizations, which are natural monopolies in the field of services provision (gas, electric energy, water), will be able to participate in the process from now on.

Chairman of the Union of Local Producers Vazgen Safaryan noted for his part that the bill is a call of the time, as recently local producers starting displaying distrust towards the system of public purchases, specifically, in the field of construction.

Safaryan stressed that the new bill and changing legislation should be aimed at stimulating local producers.