Armenian Prime Minister Tackles Corruption in Education, Healthcare

At the government session today, Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said that the complaints and trends in the education and healthcare sectors that have come to light recently have become dangerous. 

“Corruption in these two sectors has deepened. This is proved by both analytical materials, which have become accessible for the public, and our analyses and the work of our inspectorates. We have held a consultation with the education and science ministry. Mr. Ashotyan [referring to RA Minister of Education and Science Armen Ashotyan] has been assigned to present a program of clear and comprehensible activities in 10 days, so that we no longer tolerate corruption in the education system, and up until changes to personnel. The composition of council [members] in universities has to be updated and those individuals which we represent must be given clear instructions, and this direction must be the most important, to identify shortcomings and to fight against those shortcomings,” he said. 

The Armenian prime minister also turned his attention to RA Minister of Healthcare Harutyun Kushkyan, saying that the Armenian government has received serious complaints about corruption in the healthcare sector. 

“In 10 days, [RA Minister of Healthcare Harutyun Kushkyan] to present to the prime minister proposals even including changes to personnel, beginning with the chief of staff and ending with the deputy ministers, who participate in those transactions or sufficiently don’t fight this phenomena,” said Tigran Sargsyan, adding that changes to staff are the first steps in that direction. 

“If the situation isn’t rectified, we will have to take more drastic measures,” he said.