Karen Karapetyan: 9% of decisions taken within 100 days of new government`s work related to corruption and 10% to improvement of business environment

ArmInfo. Transparent,  reliable and predictable conditions in tax, customs and judicial  systems and relative legislative framework should be created for  attracting business, Prime Minister of Armenia Karen Karapetyan  stated at the American University of Armenia (AUA) on January 20  answering to the question of students. 

"Do we have ideal business environment at the moment? Of course, not!  But we have a program.  Moreover, we are going to establish a center  of strategic initiatives in the upcoming days, many of the board  members of which are representatives of private sector from the USA,  Diaspora", he said. At the same time he noted that one of the main  goals of the center will become changing business climate in the  country. In Prime Minister's opinion there is no need to reinvent the  wheel, it is simply necessary to create conditions needed for  business development.

"Those countries, where businessmen, workers and creative thinkers  feel comfortable are included in the list of happy countries rather  than the states that have petroleum, gas or other natural resources.  We will do everything to attract investors to our country",  Karapetyan stressed and in this context he added that investment  programs in various fields will be presented next week. 

At the same time touching upon the issue of creating attractive  conditions for foreign students in Armenian higher education  institutions Karapetyan said that for this reason Armenia's  educational system should be modern and popular. "This will happen if  we manage to improve legislative and infrastructure frameworks so  that a foreign citizen feels protected in Armenia", the Prime  Minister said. 

Answering to the students' question what programs are planned for  2017 the Prime Minister said that for him the 2017 will be the year  of diagnostics, specification of mechanisms of the government, a  stage of stabilization, as a result of which favorable fundamental  conditions will be created to ensure regular sustainable growth  starting from 2018. 

Referring to fight against corruption Karapetyan emphasized the  importance of changing the existing climate and necessity to carry  out wide-scale activities. "Our actions envisage to maximally change  the environment in order to reduce corruption risks. I am sure that  it is impossible to reduce corruption by establishing another  anti-corruption structure, if environment does not change", the Prime  Minister noted.  At the same time he added that 9% of decisions taken  within 100 days of the new government's work related to corruption  and 10% to improvement of business environment. He stressed that the  work will be continued and corruption risks will be gradually  reduced.