This year, the presidential administration is going to buy 511 pcs kitchen knives, each at 2000 AMD, total – 1 million 22 thousand drams, and another 10 pcs kitchen knives, each at 2300 AMD, total – 23 thousand drams. As to what the president’s cooks were going to do with 521 knives, even Armenia’s best cooks expressed surprise in the conversation with Aravot.am.
According to their observation, even if the presidential administration has more than 1000 guests, with rough estimates, 200 knives would be too much, and this is in the case, if the presidential administration’s chief cook has 20 assistant cooks, and each of them would work with 10 knives. As the cooks explained in the interview with us, still according to the Soviet norms of public catering, each cook of every “position” should use 3-4 knives. “For example, the knives of a person working with the meat are separate, for salads – separate, for bread and other foods – separate. But, even if we separate the food products, 500 pcs knives is too much. What? Are they going to change the knife once a week? It can be assumed that among the greens they will be cutting coriander with one knife, and parsley with another knife. Even in the world highest-class restaurants, it is not done in that way. But even if the 500 knives are planned for servicing a large number of people, it is still too much”. The cooks were also surprised at the price of the knives, if in other cases during the public procurements, we are surprised at high prices, in this case, we are surprised at this low price, though, in general, more than 1 million drams will be provided for them. “There are professional knives, which cost 25-30 thousand drams to begin. In other words, every self-respecting professional cook will have a knife at hand worth more than 30 thousand drams. The knives costing 2000 AMD are just toys for serious kitchens.” The State Revenue Committee is getting ready for other notable purchases. In 2014, SRC is planning to buy 12 pcs gel pens for 29 000 AMD, 80 pcs for 1100 AMD, and 400 pcs for 375 AMD. The pens for 29 000 AMD are envisaged for gifting to high-level foreign guests and members of official delegations at the ceremonial activities, along with souvenirs and other printed materials, and the pens for 1100 AMD are for internal use of the Committee. To the question of Aravot.am of which brand are the pens for 29 000 thousand drams, they responded that it will be known in the process of procurement. Our survey in a number of stores showed that the prices for brand pens start from 20 thousand until up to about 200 thousand drams. As for the pens at 1100 AMD for internal use, to our question of whether they are envisaged for high-ranking officials, SRC assured, “to ensure the targeting, these pens are planned to be ordered with a special labeling (RA SRC), and they will be used during the conferences, workshops, and seminars.”
“Perhaps, presidential administration is getting ready for the war and decided to be armed with knives, a kind of battle, it’s a quite serious number to equip 3-4 battalions. Or, they are planning to open a restaurant under the presidential administration, there’s also a gold mine there, we believe in that because whoever goes there to work, becomes a billionaire, – said the human rights defender, President of “Asbarez” Gyumri Journalists Club, Levon Barseghyan, in the conversation with Aravot.am, referring to the purchase of more than 500 knives. With regard to SRC procurement, Mr. Barseghyan noted that there is a serious progress. “In 2009, SRC had spent 21 million drams to buy 20 pcs watches to reward its employees. For over 2.5 years, we were not able to get information from the court as to who these conscientious and excellent workers are, who are gifted watches worth of 1 million drams. The court decided that SRC should provide this information, then CES should obligate to release this information. Now, I am comparing watches and pens, there is a progress in SRC.”
Nelly Babayan
