On October 8 the parliament continued the work of the four-day sittings, adopting the package of the draft laws on amending the RA Law on Child’s Rights and the RA Law on Making Addenda and Amendment to RA Law on Television and Radio.

The National Assembly continued the debates of 2008 state report of the Control Chamber of the Republic of Armenia.

NA Vice Speaker Mr. Samvel Nikoyan, highlighting the role of the Control Chamber, proposed to separate in the report from each other the financial breaches and shortcomings, not to indicate the speculations, which have been regulated by law. Mr. Nikoyan highlighted the cooperation of the Control Chamber and the parliament.

Mr. Styopa Safaryan, representing the view of the Heritage Party finds that revelations will become senseless if they don’t promote the reduction of impunity.

In connection with the issue Speaker of the National Assembly Mr. Hovik Abrahamyan gave a speech.

“Dear colleagues,

The 2008 annual report of RA Control Chamber is presented to the attention of the National Assembly. In general, I shall build my speech over the principles: I shall not go into details. I shall not do analyses. I would like simply to record several principles for organizing our further works in a right way.

In general, voluminous and useful work is done. It allows having a picture from the viewpoint of practical results about the activity of certain spheres, as well as about the efficiency of the implementation of a number of local and international programmes. The work of the ministries of agriculture, environment, urban development, transport and communication, healthcare, customs service, as well as Syunik, Gegharkunik, Ararat regions and a number of communities enjoyed attention. International numerous programmes also have been studied, and their realization is of vital importance for the economy of the country.

It’s important to emphasize that the Control Chamber, being an independent body, carries out decent oversight and indicates breaches and shortcomings, to which we should respond by the relevant steps undertaken by the executive power, as well as legislative body. It is peculiar, the shortcomings and breaches being in some spheres time by time are repeated. It happens to be that means are allocated from the state budget and external sources for using in a right way. As a result of all this, reports are made, and we don’t manage to eliminate the mentioned financial breaches. As they have been before, today they are continued. The conclusion is one: either law does not function or sufficient punishment is not determined for law breaches.

I consider more condemnable, irrespective of the sum of money, the financial breaches during the implementation of the projects State Support to the Graduates of the Children’s Trustees of the Republic of Armenia and Judicial Reforms. I propose the Control Chamber to thoroughly touch upon those issues and submit its remarks to the government. One thing is obvious that if the Control Chamber does not carry out check-ups, does not record breached in relevant ministries and departments, then those breaches will result in new misappropriations, and the shortcomings will not be eliminated, and the sums, softly said, will not serve to the goal. I would like to express my concern from this high tribune to the Control Chamber, relevant bodies, Prime Minister and the government.

At the same time, I think it’s time to specify when and in which cases on the raised shortcomings the Control Chamber, as a necessary step, shall apply to the General Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Armenia. Otherwise, year by year financial breaches are indicated on which the materials can be sent or not sent to the law enforcement bodies by discretion. We can’t continue like this. I think that if there is breach of law then the law enforcement bodies should be informed. It should be fixed by law, if there is such a gap. Every breach of law shall be discussed, condemned: that will be very right and objective.

There are other peculiarities too. An impression is created that many problems are of chronic character. At the same time we notice that it stems from the character of certain programmes, not full expenditures recorded in the given year is rectified during the next year by the expenditures carried out within the framework of the same programme. In my opinion, it is unacceptable. However, there are also other serious problems, financial extortions and other breaches, which will enjoy punishment stipulated by law, and the damage caused to the state budget and other sources shall be adequately compensated.

It will be wrong to be limited by this. There are deep problems, which demand coordinated approaches and solutions. I think that the necessity of organizing hearings over these issues has come. It’s also necessary to separate the issues, which can be solved by the efforts of the government and appropriate steps of the structures of power, and the gaps and breaches, which are of chronic character, unequivocally need legislative regulation. Here the National Assembly has certain things to do through relevant committees.

In connection with this I propose the Standing Committees on State-Legal, on Financial-Credit and Budgetary Affairs, as well as on Economic Affairs to study once more the 2008 report of 2008 of the Control Chamber, discuss the articles of the acting laws, which have been breached as a result of registered speculations and present proposals on the legislative solutions of those problems.

All this, of course, does not humiliate the huge work, which carried out the Control Chamber, and I think that the report, presented by RA Control Chamber enjoys the approval of the National Assembly.

Summing up, I should urge Mr. Zakaryan that from now on the Control Chamber would be also very careful towards the announcements, which are made in this or that sitting. It is not always those announcements correspond with the reality. Here, I will propose the Chairman of the Control Chamber to regulate all this, because the information being presented by you causes necessity of discussions among the public. I think that avery announcement should be substantiated and credible.

I highlight the work of the Control Chamber as an independent body in controlling and regulating of the expenditures of the state budget of our country. I find that it’s necessary to make stricter the control, which stems from the interests of our state, of the President of the country and of all of us.”

In his concluding speech Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Financial-Credit and Budgetary Affairs Mr. Gagik Minasyan expressed conviction that non-purposeful use of the state means weakens the trust of the public towards the policy of the state. In this context Mr. Minasyan emphasized the fair and effective activity of the Control Chamber.

Chairman of RA Control Chamber Mr. Ishkhan Zakaryan expressed his gratitude in his final speech to the parliament for the interested discussions and useful proposals and responded to voiced concerns.

The MPs debated a number of draft laws submitted by the Government of the Republic of Armenia.

The debate of the draft law will be continued in the next NA four-day sittings.

The National Assembly ended the work of the four-day sittings.