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On October 17 the RA NA Standing Committee on Defense, National Security and Internal Affairs initiated parliamentary hearings on the theme “Budget Planning and Effective Oversight of Defence Expenditures.” The NA deputies, members of the Government, the NGO representatives and those responsible for the sphere took part in the hearings.

In his opening word the Committee Chairman Koryun Nahapetyan has considered the parliamentary hearings crucial and has highlighted its holding in Armenia in the context of the complete investment of the programme budgeting system. He has noted that the goal of the hearings is the organization of the concerned debates related to success recorded in the process of the budget planning and effective oversight of defence expenditures, the challenges, gaps and shortcomings existing in the sphere. Mr Nahapetyan has expressed hope that during the debates recommendations will be voiced which will be directed at the solution of the problems existing in the sphere. Within the framework of the defence policy being pursued in the country he has especially emphasized the budget of defence. The Committee Chairman has touched upon the role and importance of the parliamentary oversight, the authorities of the Parliament and the Committee, has highlighted the role of the civil society in the sphere. He has added that the Committee jointly with the RA Ministry of Defence has organized debates, as a result of which a series of problems have been solved.

The RA Minister of Defence Seyran Ohanyan has thanked the Committee for the effective cooperation, expressing conviction that as a result of such debates, a platform of army-parliament-society close cooperation is formed which is of importance. He has also touched upon the peculiarities of the programme budgeting process, the obstacles and problems existing in the sphere.

The Committee member Tevan Poghosyan in his speech has referred to the budgeting process, the peculiarities of the programme budgeting, the elaboration of the system strategy and policy. In the context of the preparation, approval and evaluation of the budget he has spoken about the National Assembly-the RA Government and the NA-Control Chamber cooperation. Mr Poghosyan has spotlighted the extension of the authorities of the parliament in the process of budget making and its adoption.

In their speeches the RA Deputy Minister of Finance Pavel Safaryan and the Chairman of the RA Control Chamber Ishkhan Zakaryan have touched upon the organization of the process of the budget planning and effective oversight of defence expenditures, have presented the institutional, legislative and oversight bases of the budgeting system.

The RA NA Deputy Speaker Hermine Naghdalyan has emphasized the cooperation between the Committee and the RA Ministry of Defence. The NA Deputy Speaker has also highlighted the close cooperation between the Parliament and the Government for making more effective the budgeting process of defence. To her assessment, close cooperation should be not only with the Ministry of Defence, but also with the other Ministries.

Sona Ayvazyan, The Deputy Director of “Transparency International” Anti-Corruption Centre, presented the study regarding the corruption risks of the sphere of the RA Defence, which related to the rise of the role of the parliament in the budget oversight, the increase of the oversight mechanisms in the process of procurement, the publicity of military budget and intelligence expenditures.

The Former Minister of Defence of Bulgaria Todor Tagarev has referred to the process of the budget making of defence and the problems of procurement in the country.

During the Q & A session the participants of the hearings have talked about the defence policy and the defence sphere link, the transparency and accountability in the sphere, the parliamentary oversight, the budget planning problems of defence and other issues.

In his final speech Koryun Nahapetyan thanked for the debates of concern, assuring that the recommendations and remarks voiced in the hearings will be discussed and summed up in the Committee.