On 11 May, Armenian Business Coalition organised a working meeting of the SME Cooperation working group and the NA Standing Committee on Economic Affairs within the framework of the “New Strategy for Effective development of SME Sector in Armenia” sub-grant project implemented in the scope of the EU-funded “Commitment to Constructive Dialogue” Project. The meeting took place in “Elite Plaza” business centre
The main topic of the meeting was the discussion of the Draft Law on Business Ombudsman.
Representatives of the coalition, MPs Mary Muradyan, Gevorg Papoyan, Tigran Karapetyan, Babken Tunyan and others, as well as experts from the NGO representing SME interests were present at the meeting.
In the course of the meeting, Mr. Hakob Avakyan, Vice-President of the SME Cooperation Foundation presented the necessity of adopting the RA Draft Law on Business Ombudsman and the existing prerequisites for it, the successful international experience. After the presentation, a heated debate took place.
The participants, and especially MPs, were asking different questions trying to understand once again what kind of additional activities the structure would implement, which HRD and the SRC did not carry out, how the structure would be financed, whether or not the staff is provided, what tools would have or would apply the structure to have a serious impact?
As a result of discussions and certain explanations, MPs expressed an opinion that there is a necessity to adopt the RA Draft Law on Business Ombudsman.
Further, Hakob Avagyan presented the online survey carried out among SME representatives related to the Business Ombudsman’s office, which states that most of the factories, if available, would apply to the Business Ombudsman’s Office.
