ArmInfo.An Anti-Corruption Committee will be created in Armenia. The RA National Assembly at the January 19 sitting in the first reading adopted the draft law "On the Anti-Corruption Committee", also introducing amendments to a number of related laws.
As RA Minister of Justice Rustam Badasyan noted in his speech, appointments to the new structure, including to executive positions, will be made within the framework of an open competition. Moreover, how the minister noted that for the employees of the committee, in contrast to employees of other investigative bodies, more stringent requirements and restrictions will be introduced. Accordingly, they will be provided with additional guarantees for the full implementation of their activities. "According to the anti-corruption strategy of 2019, the Government of Armenia made a decision to create a single Anti- Corruption Committee," the minister recalled.
As a result, according to the head of the Ministry of Justice, in a number of structures, which earlier within the framework of their powers were engaged in combating and countering corruption, staff reductions will begin. We are talking, in particular, about the National Security Service, the Special Investigative Service, the Investigative Committee and the State Revenue Committee. These employees are planned to be merged into a new structure - the Anti-Corruption Committee. The number of employees of the new department will be about 150 people, including at least 30 investigators and 60 detectives.
Note that for the creation of the Anti-Corruption Committee, the Government of Armenia has allocated 8 billion 203 million drams, which is planned to be spent in 2021-2023. Of this amount, the bulk of the funds - about 5.1 billion drams, will be spent on salaries, utilities and office expenses. In addition, over 5 billion drams are planned to be allocated to provide the new department with a building. Also 285.5 million drams will be spent on technical equipment, and 192 million drams - to provide the department and its employees with vehicles. The salary of the staff of the Committee will be about 650 thousand drams without deducting taxes, and the chairman of the committee will be 700 thousand drams.