15 small and medium-sized businesses will introduce an anti-corruption compliance package in their business in  Vanadzor, Lori Region. They will introduce it the within the framework of the “Armenia: Promoting Anti-Corruption Conduct and Reforms” Project.

Within the framework of the same project, which is implemented by the “Center for International Private Enterprise” (CIPE), the “Armenian Lawyers’ Association” NGO (ALA), the “Corporate Governance Center” (CGC), and the “Yerevan Chamber of Commerce and Industry” (YerCCI), the questionnaires the “Role of Business in the Fight against Corruption” has been elaborated.

The objective of these questionnaires is to identify the private sector’s attitude towards corruption in the business, the perception of the private sector of anti-corruption compliance, and the measures implemented and planned by the private sector to ensure the anti-corruption compliance.

One  medium-sized  and 14 small businesses are involved in this program In Vanadzor, Heads of 6 companies are women.

“There is a point included in the questionnaire, in which the organization’s managers should briefly describe corruption in a single sentence. One of the questionnaires points out that corruption is an instrument of alternative, non-constitutional extra income, which gives rise to serious thinking. In another questionnaire it was noted that corruption should be condemned. The organizations are positive about the new anti-corruption program and hope that it will make a positive shift in the fight against corruption,” Zarine Hovhannisyan, a lawyer, responsible for the CSOs incubator the of the Vanadzor office of the “Commitment to Constructive Dialogue” project, said.

Four of the companies that completed the questionnaires are involved in food industry, semi-finished products, dairy products, bakery and lavash, 2 are dental clinics, 1 is engaged in textile industry, 1 in souvenir production, 2 in construction industry and so on.

Notably, the objective of the project is to combat corruption in the business sector, to introduce the Anti-Corruption Compliance Standards within the Armenian business community, and implementing Anti-Corruption Compliance Programs in SMEs.

This material has been prepared in the scope of the “Armenia: Promoting Anti-Corruption Conduct and Reforms” Project implemented by the “Center for International Private Enterprise”, the “Armenian Lawyers’ Association” NGO, the “Corporate Governance Center” NGO and the “Yerevan Chamber of Commerce and Industry” with financial support of the National Endowment for Democracy. The project is implemented as a co-financing to the “Commitment to Constructive Dialogue” action implemented with the financial support of the European Union by a Consortium comprising the “Armenian Lawyers’ Association” NGO, the “Armenian Center for Democratic Education-CIVITAS” NGO, the “International Center for Human Development” NGO, the “SME Cooperation Association” NGO, the Union of Communities of Armenia, as well as “Agora Central Europe” NGO (Czech Republic). The contents of this material are the sole responsibility of the “Armenian Lawyers’ Association” NGO and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the National Endowment for Democracy and the European Union.