Today, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan took part in the swearing-in ceremony of customs officials who were hired within the framework of the reforms of the State Revenue Committee under the new procedure for being employed by the customs service. The event was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister Hambardzum Matevosyan, Chairman of the State Revenue Committee Rustam Badasyan, Deputy Chairman of the SRC Tsovinar Soghomonyan and Ashot Muradyan, other officials.
Within the framework of the new personnel policy, most of the participants of the training courses that started in 2022 for preparing customs officers with new standards who successfully completed the courses, have already started working in the customs service system that has entered a new phase of reform.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan made a speech at the event, in which he particularly said,
“Dear colleagues,
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I am very happy for today’s event, because it is very important for us to endow more and more state institutions with new, fresh blood. But on the other hand, it has never been in our practice to reject, deny or abandon the best traditions of a given structure. From the very beginning, right from 2018, our position has been that the entire state system and in general, everyone should have an opportunity.
It always takes time to understand the problems in any structure, to distinguish the best from the the not best. We gave that time and I’m glad for it. Although, I must also admit that during the implementation of this thesis, we have been criticized very often, including when it came to customs service of the State Revenue Committee, saying that we are slow in making changes and reforms there. They even looked at us with a reproachful look.
How can this be explained? This can be explained by today itself. This day was our goal. Mr. Badasyan mentioned that today, in fact, we have 50% people who come from the customs service and have a long experience, and there are 50% people who are new to that service. It is our best wish that the experience combined with a fresh perspective will yield the best result we want. And, of course, we should leave the worst traditions in the past. This is very important, because with only one component, I think we will not solve the problem facing us. And I am also happy that despite all the difficulties, pressures, criticisms, we have remained true to our path from the beginning, when we promised that everyone should have the opportunity to express themselves, regardless of how many years they have been working in any body.
Now, it seems, the time has come to put our theoretical thesis into practice, with the best starting cooperation with the novices to transfer best practices and shape best practices as a result.
Customs service, customs office, in general, is traditionally perceived as an obstacle for goods, movements, economy. Our logic is to reform the customs service in such a way that it is not seen as an obstacle, but as a tool for moving goods correctly, competently, and also in a maximally safe and useful way for consumers and the public, which ultimately provides a service to the entrepreneur himself, so that receiving this support, he will not face insurmountable obstacles at any stage in his further processes. Here, the interests of the state, the public and the entrepreneur should be properly balanced. I am glad that now we are already thinking about and have put into practice mechanisms where goods and cars can pass through customs offices even without almost stopping. And I am very happy about this dynamic.
I want to thank the experienced employees of the customs service, I want to congratulate and express my joy for the newcomers. I mean, our intentions are exactly what we speak out about. It’s not so that we say something publicly, then call you and say do this or that. This is very important. Therefore, I hope that as a result of today’s event, as a result of today’s replenishment, citizen-customs service-State Revenue Committee-citizen, citizen-government and citizen-state relations will experience another significant and qualitative change.
Thanks again to our best and congratulations to those who get the chance to become even better than those best in the future.”
INFORMATION AND PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPARTMENT OF THE OFFICE OF THE PRIME-MINISTER OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
