Your trusted source

Armenian Minister of Justice Rustam Badasyan on Tuesday introduced a new bill that would require officials to declare their expenses if their one-time amount exceeds 1 million drams.

Presenting the package of draft laws on amendments and supplements to the Law on Public Service and related laws at a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs, the minister said the new measure is part of the anti-corruption policy adopted by the government.

Badasyan stated that the package of bills aimed at tracking the entire cash flow of a declarant gives new leverages. According to him, the bill covers certain expenses, including rent payments, leisure, education and travel expenses, as well as agricultural activities.

"Any other expense is subject to declaration too, if its one-time amount exceeds 2 million drams. In addition, it is envisaged to define as property subject to declaration also the property factually possessed by the declarant,” the minister said.

Under the draft law, in case of a significant changes in the property belonging to an official within two years after assuming the office, that is, a significant increase in property and income, the corruption commission may ask the official to submit a declaration of income and assets.

"Besides, we propose to reduce the monetary threshold of the declared expensive items, reducing it from 8 million drams to 4 million drams. We also propose to expand the circle of declarants to involve the secretaries of the community staffs and members of the Council of Elders of the communities with a population of more than 15,000," Badasyan added.