The detection of the business impediments in Armenia will be carried out easily and in a more effective way through the operation of the new platform for the whistle-blowers in the scope of “Evidence-based Advocacy for Reform” project.
The project is being implemented by the European Business Association, Armenian Lawyers’ Association and the the Union of Information Technology Enterprises, which is the lead applicant of the Consortium .
Mr. Garegin Galustov, Business Development Manager of the European Business Association presented the main obstacles while interviewing businessmen and entrepreneurs and conducting surveys aimed at the study of the business impediments in Armenia.
“European Business Association conducted a survey among 140 companies. The process showed that people are reluctant to express their concerns in an open and transparent way. In fact, it takes a very long period of time before the dialogue may take place, or before the respondents are assured by us that there cannot be any undesirable consequences for them,” he said.
“Armenia lacks the system for protection of whistleblowers in the business sphere, which is based on the innovative technologies,” Mr. Karen Zadoyan, President of the Armenian Lawyers’ Association stated.
“We shall try to solve this problem in the scope of “Evidence-based Advocacy for Reform” project. Our program includes innovation aimed to identify the problems in business sector, as well as protection of SME of rights and the dialogue with the Government aimed to implement reforms in the business sector,” Karen Zadoyan said at the meeting with the representatives of the Consortium companies and the lawyers of business sector.
“When there is a good idea, it is also easy to find partners,” Karen Zadoyan said during the meeting. He added, that the main trump card of this program are innovative solutions for the collection of information on business-related issues and corruption risks in the business sector; the web platform, which will also allow to ensure privacy of SMEs’ representatives.
Ms Anna Karapetyan, UITE Projects Manager hopes that the project will create incentives for efficient business operations, she referred to an Internet platform saying, “We must have a platform where people can freely, and sometimes unanimously represent their problems, which should have very quick solutions, if possible.”
According to the International Expert Carl Ulbricht, awareness is another problem that must be solved.
“Half of the case will be done if we always inform the people about the platform, so that they are aware of it and use the platform,” he marked.
On the same day, the training of the lawyers from the regional offices of Armenian Lawyers’ Association took place as well. The lawyers would provide free legal assistance to the SMEs in Yerevan, Gyumri, Vanadzor, Gavar and Kapan.
“Evidence-based Advocacy for Reform” Project is implemented in the framework of “Support to SME Development in Armenia” (SMEDA) project, which is co-funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). GIZ Private Sector Development in South Caucasus Programme implements SMEDA project.
SMEDA is part of the EU4Business and EU4Innovation initiatives of the European Union.
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