EcoLur
The soil management sector in Armenia bears high corruption risks: this is what Ex PM Hrant Bagratyan in his speech at the meeting of European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party in Yerevan on 11 May.
Below is the interview by EcoLur with H. Bagratyan is brief:
EcoLur – How to reduce corruption risks in soil management sector?
H.B. - There are political, social and legal, as well as other aspects. But economic problems do exist, without which it is impossible to solve the problem. The price for resources must be determined and fees for their use must be paid. That is, if this problem is not solved, the rest problems won’t be solved either.
EcoLur – Do you support privatization, including soil?
H.B. – This is not true. Soil is not privatized in any country. Nevertheless, in our country they are “privatized” without the right to privatization. Article 105 of our Constitution lays down that the soil belongs to the state and communities.
EcoLur – Do you share the opinion that the soil belongs to people as well?
H.B.- It should be interpreted in the viewpoint of the Constitution. Each mine, stone, mountain etc, to some extent, is located in the territory of a community. While our legislations doesn’t differentiate definitions of state and community.
EcoLur – So can we conclude that Armenia, to some extent, can be considered as one community?
H.B.- No, and this is not my own opinion, just the Constitution in force lays down them as different bodies.
EcoLur –Аnd what do you think over that?
H.B.- They are complex as much as the interrelations among the state and communities are. The interrelations between the state governance and self governarnce are not solved on legislative grounds in Armenia.
EcoLur – And what do you propose?
H.B.- In case of the soil, the state and communities must be separate, i.e. it must be determined what is within the authorities of the communities and what is within the authorities of the state. May be in case of metallic and non-metallic mines, it would be possible to determine according to the size.
EcoLur – Recently it was obvious that international financial institutions have been intervening into the sphere of soil management. They claim they comply with international standards and bear social and environmental responsibility, nevertheless, as soon as any problem arises, they tell us to apply to our government. What can we demand from them, what kind of development?
H.B.- I don't know. I treat to such kind of organizations negatively. I don't know whether they wand and can do something good for us. I am not sure that the World Bank or the EBRD aim to improve soemthing. As a prinicple, I am not interested in their approaches. I am interested in our own approaches.
May 16, 2012 at 16:37