Mariam Zadoyan, expert of the Business Advocacy project of the Armenian Lawyers’ Association, took part in the Business Advocacy Network Workshop on February 27, which took place at the Yerevan Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The workshop was aide at improving the network performance, capacity building of the network members, efficiency of work and presentation of international experience in strengthening the dialogue between the public and private sectors..
Ms Ekaterina Lysova, Program Officer at CIPE, Washington, DC, and Ms Elizabeth Lenz, Program Assistant of the same program conducted the workshop.
In the scope of the program the participants explored coalition cooperation capabilities and estimated the network’s capacities according to 9 criteria. As a result of the assessment, it was decided to take steps to strengthen the weaknesses. To that end, an agreement was reached to better coordinate the business interests’ protection so that network members are more aware of the sectoral success of their colleagues.
Mariam Zadoyan presented the recent steps and reforms implemented by the Armenian Lawyers’ Association in the business sector, in particular, the introduction of www.bizprotect.am website, which is a whistleblowers and awareness platform for the business sector; preparing the report “Favorable Business Environment: Challenges and Recommendations” and its submission to the Government of the Republic of Armenia. The report includes about 90 proposals, some of which have already been implemented, among them the installation of the on-line custom calculator for cars on the CRS website, providing the terms for the activity of the procurement commissions, and the requirement for submitting the tender security in case of exceeding a certain threshold.
Notably, that the Business Advocacy network is an informal union of organizations and individuals aimed at promoting socio-economic reforms in Armenia and development of private entrepreneurship by ensuring the involvement and participation of the business community and civil society in the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of public policy.
The objective of the network is to make the voice of the business community heard to the state bodies, to act as a structure to more effectively protect the interests of their beneficiaries in the small and medium-sized businesses.