Today, the ordinary anti-corruption event on “Corruption Risks in the Social Sphere” for the CSOs Media, layers and Human Rights Activists was held in the AYLA Gegharkunik Regional Office.

Mrs. Nelly Harutyunyan, the Head of the AYLA Gegharkunik Branch mentioned in her speech that the corruption risks that exist in the social sphere are growing day by day and that it is necessary to be persistent and unconditionally. This was evidenced by the complaints referring to pensions and poverty benefits of citizens who visited the office.

Really serious risks in the region are connected with the activities in the sphere of Medical Expertise Examination Commissions’ activities, during the annual medical examinations for the approval of disability category.

In order to fight corruption in the social sphere the direct participation of the citizens, as well as cooperation with the CSOs and mass media is crucial.

Zhanna Ghuloyan. President of “Decent Generation” NGO spoke about the small coins that the employees of different divisions of “Haypost” Company kept while giving the pensions. She noted that the employees of the post have already reached to a point where the pensioners voluntarily leave the small coins to the corresponding employees, and giving the pension without the pennies has already become a common pattern.
“despite the reforms that the RA Government implemented in the pension sphere, however the corruption risks and occurrences in the regional pension divisions are growing in the connection with calculation of the labor records of the pensioners,” Siranush Manukyan, President of “Russian Community” NGO mentioned and added, “I believe that the low level of awareness of the population in the region also promotes this occurrence.”

The hot discussions were followed by questions and answers of the participants. Anahit Shahgeldyan, President of “Gavar Business Center” NGO and the member of Gegharkunik marz CSOs’ Coalition Group in her report spoke about the public control in this sphere. She mentioned that in order to make it more efficient it is necessary to enhance the citizens’ political will and intolerance against this “malignant” phenomenon.

With regard to public control Nelli Harapetyan added that the other CSOs of the Gegharkunik marz Anti-Corruption Coalition can join through conducting monitoring, control and journalistic investigations.

At the end the participants expressed their satisfaction with the organization of such events and hoped that they will be continuous in Gavar.

The event was organized by the anti-corruption coalition of CSOs of Gegharkunik region in the framework of “Multi-Faceted Anti-Corruption Promotion” project co-financed by the European Union and the OSCE Yerevan Office.

Iravaban.net