ARMENIAN POLICE TO AUCTION OFF ‘EXCLUSIVE’ LICENSE PLATES
By Shakeh Avoyan
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
July 19 2007
New owners of expensive cars will now be able to legally buy license
plates with their preferred numbers, instead of using their government
connections or paying kickbacks, the Armenian government announced
on Thursday.
The government approved the measure in an apparent bid to end
widespread corruption and nepotism in the distribution of what many
wealthy Armenians regard as a badge of prestige.
Their luxury cars typically have license plates with three or more
repeating and easy-to-remember numbers. In fact, some of the country’s
wealthiest businessmen have effectively monopolized entire number
combinations and variations for their extended families and closest
associates. Their motorcades consist of SUVs with virtually identical
five-digit plates.
Obtaining so-called "gold" numbers is believed to have required,
at least until now, high-level government or police connections and,
more importantly, hefty informal payments to senior police officers.
Local motorists say the most prestigious of them have cost as much
as $2,000 or even more.
The government decision, effective from September 1, is clearly
supposed to end the practice and make sure that the hefty sums end
up in the state budget. The Armenian traffic police will now have
to hold special auctions for the coveted license plates. Ministers
instructed the police to officially define "gold" number combinations,
classify them into several categories and set their price ranges within
a month. Officials said information on all exclusive license plates
put up for sale will have be posted on the police website before the
planned auctions.
Ishkhan Ishkhanian, the chief of the traffic police, already predicted
the starting price of the most expensive category: 1.2 million drams
($3,500). He said he thinks there will be no lack of people willing
to pay an even higher price.
"I can tell from my experience that we Armenians have some attachment
to numbers such dates of birth, dates of marriage," Ishkhanian told
reporters. "And I’m not talking about a particular segment of the
population. A large number of our citizens really care about numbers."