Ombudsman dissatisfied with refusal of govt to apply Inst. Mandate

[Toneyan Mark]

ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Oct 14 2005

ARMENIAN OMBUDSMAN DISSATISFIED WITH THE REFUSAL OF ARMENIAN
GOVERNMENT TO FULLY SATISFY APPLICATION OF OMBUDSMAN INSTITUTION

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 14. ARMINFO. Armenian Ombudsman Larisa Alaverdyan
is dissatisfied with the refusal of the Armenian Government to fully
satisfy the application of Ombudsman Institution.

Speaking at the Armenian Parliament Friday she said the Institution
applied for 141 million AMD, meanwhile the Government has agreed to
allocate only 130 million AMD. She stressed the necessity for
replenishment of the Ombudsman's Staff with 5 employees for the
increasing number of applications (12% in 2005). Besides, the issue
of representing the Institution in Shirak, Syunik and Gegharkunik
regions still needs solution. Larisa Alaevryan said the average wages
of an employee of the Ombudsman Institution is 90,000 AMD. The draft
state budget for 2006 has ignored this problem.

Meanwhile, Armenian Minister for Finance and Economy Vardan
Khachatryan said financing of the Ombudsman Institution is not prior
for the Government. The more so as state allocations to the other
ministries or departments have not increased as much as those of the
Ombudsman Institution. Annual allocations for the latter rise by 30%.
Besides, V. Khachatryan disagreed with the size of the wages
presented by Larisa Alaverdyan. The minister said Ombudsman
Institution employees receive 102,000 AMD monthly wages.