WORLD BANK MAKES ASSESSMENT OF PROCUREMENT SYSTEM IN ARMENIA
Noyan Tapan
Oct 28, 2009
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 28, NOYAN TAPAN. On the initiative of the RA Ministry
of Finance, the World Bank has made as assessment of Armenia’s
procurement system. The presentation of the report on the results of
the WB assesstment took place with the participation of representatives
of international organizations, state government bodies, NGOs, and
the private sector.
The head of the assessment team Nashad Khan said the procurement
system of Armenia is quite in line with international standards as
compared with other regional countries, but, like any system, it is
in need of improvement.
According to a report of the Information and PR Unit of the Ministry
of Finance, the following major changes have been suggested:
1. to extend the regulation field of the RA Law on Procurement by
including in it purchases for the needs of organizations providing
services considered as natural monopoly, as well as concession-related
transactions and the state-private sector cooperation transactions,
2. to establish a Purchase Appeal Board, which will be independent of
other state and local bodies and officials and have powers to examine
complaints related to purchases and make decisions,
3. to decentralize the procurement system and give the powers to make
purchases and organize purchase processes to customers,
4. in order to encourage the participation of organizations in
purchases, to simplify the purchase processes,
5. to introduce a system of post-supervision of purchases by the
authorized body – the RA Ministry of Finance.
In the words of K. Brutian, Head of the Procurement Regulation and
Budget Implementation Methdology Department of the Ministry of Finance,
the indicated proposals are acceptable, and they have already been
discussed and included in the procurement system reforms strategy
approved by the RA government.