Thursday, 24 March 2011
Food security in spotlight
A cabinet sitting was held today under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan
Opening the sitting, the Prime Minister stated: “Six months ago the Prime Minister’s Control Service together with the Food Security Department conducted checks in the cheese production sector and revealed serious problems. Food security is crucial for us and is included in the 4 key areas of EU-Armenia cooperation.
We have to establish proper rules and regulations in line with the European standards in order to provide European sales outlets for domestic products. Considering that the exposed facts were too challenging and dangerous, we deem it expedient to renew the checks within six months to make sure that the shortfalls have been addressed. We took money from the treasury for laboratory analyses, collected cheese samples from dozens of food stores and applied strict sanctions against the offenders. Therefore, the problem will have to be dealt with once again in public.”
Proceeding to the agenda, the cabinet decided that pending finalization of the pensioners’ personal details cash pensions will be paid only through the local offices of Haypost CJSC. The topic was commented on by the Prime Minister.
The meeting approved a timetable for introduction of the system of integrated social services. According to the Prime Minister, this ushers in the startup of a serious reform aimed at shaping a single network of integrated social services involving modernized logistics and data bases instead of doing paperwork.
The Executive backed the proposal on signing the “Rural Capacity Building Program” financing agreement between the Republic of Armenia and the IFAD. Due to be implemented in Shirak, Lori, Tavush, Aragatsotni, Gegharkunik, Vaiots-Dzor and Syunik marzes, the program is part of a series of 4 other programs approved by the World Bank. The pressures exercised on the government end up in money asked for agricultural beneficiaries. But it is not a way out: institutional transformations are needed, and they are just the target of this program.
In an effort to shape an appropriate legal framework and practices, the government went on to approve the description and the procedure to follow in delivering a certificate of repatriation to the Republic of Armenia. With regard to the 3 decisions adopted on the matter, Tigran Sargsyan said they relate to State-administered services which often give rise to citizens’ grievances. The package seeks to enhance service quality. The government is currently monitoring the whole range of services provided by public agencies. The time has come to see what has been done by the ministries and agencies so that we could improve services quality and reduce corruption risks.
The meeting discussed a number of legislative initiatives to be submitted to the National Assembly in the manner established by law.
