Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was presented with the activity report 2023 of the inspection bodies subordinate to the Government.

Petros Martirosyan, Inspection Bodies' Coordination Bureau Head and the heads of the inspection bodies reported on the activities carried out during the reporting period. Summary information was presented about the performed inspections, oversight and awareness measures.

The implementation of the instructions of the Prime Minister in the reporting year, the existing problems, the processes of procurement, risk assessment and analysis, the most important events planned for the near future were presented.

Indicators were presented that reaffirmed the targeted nature and effectiveness of risk-based inspections. During 2023, the inspection bodies carried out a total of 7,757 inspections, of which 2,360 were planned and 1,854 were unplanned.

It was noted that violations were detected in 80 percent of cases during planned inspections, and 38 during unplanned inspections, which, according to the officials, means that the system of risk-based inspections is effective, as a result of which inspections are carried out more targeted.

Legislative changes were implemented in the field of technical and fire safety, by which the inspection body practically got the opportunity to close the facilities that do not comply with the fire or technical safety rules, the operation of which was subject to immediate suspension. According to the officials, the consequence of the mentioned change is more than obvious: facilities that do not comply with fire safety rules, which have been operating without hindrance for years, have been closed, and in some cases, with the support of local governments, they have been dismantled.

In another case, the law established that meat of non-slaughterhouse origin is subject to confiscation and destruction. Despite the fact that the law was adopted at the end of 2023, as a result of public awareness activities about the adoption of the law, an unprecedented increase in the circulation of meat of slaughterhouse origin was recorded, compared to all previous periods.

Prime Minister Pashinyan referred to the results of inspections carried out by the inspection bodies, the revealed violations and noted. "The question boils down to the following very well-known topic: in the end, the public or business entities are fine material or not fine material. There, the conceptual difference is in the following, moreover, in relation to road traffic, we have already solved that problem. And the difference is in the following, suppose we now turn to the issue of dust. The inspection body says “Youviolated the dust norm. The businessman says, ”What's the fine? Here’s 100 thousand, take it and leave, and I’ll continue to work in the same spirit.” Next time the inspection body comes. “Here, you violated”. The businessman says, ”What's the fine? For the second violation 200 thousand? No problem, take it.” And the same thing for the third, fourth, fifth, tenth time. In the case of road traffic, we solved that problem. How did we solve it? Because here we had this same philosophy. We changed it, we said, there will be a system of points, and if you continue to violate it for x times, you will lose your driver's license and you will have to retake the test to get a driver's license the next time. There are even cases of criminal proceedings, criminal liability. In other words, here it is also a matter of ensuring the equality of citizens before the law, because it is not the case that if someone has money, he can constantly pay and violate."

The Prime Minister highlighted the importance of increasing the efficiency of the control mechanisms of the inspection bodies, the proper notification about programs being implemented, and stressed the need of more active works in the regions. "I have talked about working outside the office at least several times during Cabinet meetings. Now, I do not understand how one can coordinate an issue related to agriculture from the office, our officials should spend at least half of their work in the villages. You go to a village, and then you understand from what people say that these people have not seen any official for years, not even the deputy head of the department, senior or junior specialist. Then they say: we solved that issue long ago. How did you solve, dear colleagues, did you formulate a sentence in some paper and turn it into another sentence? I told the ministers at the Cabinet meeting that work outside the office is important. I don't see work being done outside the office."

Reference was also made to the dismantling of illegal gas stations. It was reported that during the reporting year, 40 illegally operating gas stations were dismantled in the country.

In this regard, Nikol Pashinyan noted. "You said that 40 illegal filling stations were dismantled, if we suddenly stop this process, it will mean that we just removed these 40 from the market in a targetted manner, we just harmed them. Our policy should be that there should not be such a gas station in the country at all. It is realistically clear that we cannot do it in one day, nor in two days, nor in five days, but let's say in 500-600 days we must have done it for sure."

It was reported that in 2023, 46 decisions were made to suspend the activities of economic operators, compared to 26 last year, of which 33 were in the field of water use, 10 were in the field of atmospheric air protection, and 2 were in the field of subsoil use.

In the field of biodiversity, 1024 violations were recorded, the damage caused to flora and fauna was estimated at 1 billion 273 million AMD. A certain decrease in the number of illegally cut trees was also recorded. For comparison, in 2021, that number was 19 thousand 475, in 2022 - 18 thousand 405, and in 2023 - 14 thousand 374.

The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of the introduction of specific standards in various fields and the consistent implementation of programs in that direction. "At least during this period, our experience has shown that in all the places where we go to implementation of certain standards and even make targeted subsidies, they also have fiscal effects for the development of our state and economy. And GDP grows, and the resulting fiscal effects emerge. That is, where we are talking about increasing the standard, we should not go there and say, you know, there is no money, let's not set that standard because there is no money also due to the absence of that standard. We need to go after the standards consistently."

More than 6,500 awareness-raising activities have been carried out by inspection bodies through comprehensive trainings, mass media, social websites and other platforms and events.

During the meeting, the prospects for the development of the inspection system were discussed, specific recommendations were received regarding a number of issues.