RA PRESIDENT’S CONTROL SERVICE REVEALS SERIOUS VIOLATIONS AT MINES OPERATED WITHIN YEREVAN ADMINISTRATIVE BOUNDARIES AND IN ADJACENT AREA
Noyan Tapan
Oc t 8, 2008
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 8, NOYAN TAPAN. The October 8 working consultation
conducted by Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan focused on the results
of the studies done by the RA president’s Control Service at the mines,
which are operated within the administrative boundaries of Yerevan and
in the adjacent area and whose minerals are mainly used as building
materials or a raw stuff for production of building materials.
According to a press release of the RA presidential press service, the
RA prime minister, the chief of the presidential staff, the ministers
of economy, energy and natural resources, and nature protection,
Yerevan’s mayor, the chairman of the State Committee of the Real
Estate Cadastre, and the head of the State Revenue Committee took
part in the consultation.
Presenting the violations and shortcomings revealed by the studies,
the head of the Control Service Hovhannes Hovsepian said that the real
amounts of minerals were concealed, the respective nature payments
were not made, and as a result, the minerals mined or the production
made from them were sold in the shadow sector. Some facts of illegal
mining were also recorded, many mines are operated outside the areas
allocated for them, some mines were put into operation without the
acceptance by the authorized body, due to which it is impossible to
establish their initial state.
Considering this situation as neglected and alarming, S. Sargsyan
pointed out the improper control of the sector by the responsible
ministries. He demanded that the respective authorized bodies: the
ministry of energy and natural resources, the ministry of nature
protection, the State Revenue Committee strengthen their control
functions and centralize information which will allow to make the
sector more transparent. He attached importance to improvement of
the legislative field regulating the sector.
S. Sargsyan also gave instructions to compensate for the damage done
to the state. He said that within the framework of measures to improve
the tax field and to fight against shadow economy, such studies will
regularly done in various sectors.