Thursday, January 24 2013 15:06
Almost half of compensation paid through mediation of financial ombudsman over 4 years, was paid in 2012
ArmInfo. The total of 228.013 mln drams compensation were paid off in 2009-2012 under the mediation of the financial ombudsman of Armenia, more than 49% of which - in 2012. As Armenia's Financial Ombudswoman Pizur Sargsyan said during today's event dedicated to the 4th anniversary of establishment of the Financial Ombudsman's Office in Armenia, over such a short period of time they managed to gain the community's trust. Today the office held an event in which its best partners in the person of banks and insurance companies took part. The leaders of these structures were traditionally delivered merit certificates for the best cooperation according to the results of 2012: ACBA-Credit Agricole Bank, Ardshininvestbank, VTB Bank (Armenia), Insurance companies "Rosgostrakh-Armenia" and "INGO-Armenia". When getting the certificate, executive director of "INGO-Armenia", Levon Altunyan, said that he hopes that over the current year their insurance company will manage to avoid attention of the financial ombudswoman. The best partners should have the following criteria: the level of cooperation in the process of revising complaints, the big share of cases settled peacefully as well as the display of kind will when paying compensations in such cases when the demand of a client to pay compensation had to be refused.
In general, over four years of its activity, 68,4% of compensations were in favor of clients. In 2012 versus 2011 the office of the financial ombudsman fixed the growth of complaints and investigated cases - by 63,2% and 172,2% respectively.
Sargsyan said that 392 complaints were revised in 2012, 71,03% of which in favor of clients, 68% of which through peaceful agreement with the financial organization. As a result, 111.911 mln drams were compensated to clients in 2012. 96 complaints out of 392 were directed against banks, 284- against insurance companies, 5 - against motor insurance bureau, 2 - against credit companies and 5 - against pawnshops. The Financial Ombudswoman's office received 3211 complaints in 2009-2012, 722 of which were revised.
Asked by Arminfo correspondent about the plans for 2013, Sargsyan replied that at present the relevant instance has been discussing the possibility of giving the right to the financial ombudswoman of Armenia to receive complaints from the entities of small and medium-sized business. As for an opportunity to dispute decisions of financial ombudswoman, Sargsyan said from the very beginning financial organizations refused their such right taking in account the high professionalism of the financial ombudswoman when revising complaints.
To note, services of financial ombudsman, acting in Armenia since 24 January 2009, are free of charge, as financial organizations pay for his work.