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A series of training sessions for civil servants from Armenian ministries and state agencies on simplifying regulations in the market environment kicked off today in Yerevan with OSCE support.

The three-day training session aims to promote the involvement of Armenian ministries in the so-called Regulatory Guillotine project on simplifying regulations. Participants will learn about the current reform process and the upcoming programmes, and be trained on the review process, regulatory costs and their importance to Armenia. Participants will also explore the most common regulatory mistakes in the market environment and good practices in regulatory consultation.

“The long-term process of reviewing and reforming the regulatory framework in Armenia is of great importance,” said Tomasz Dembski, Economic and Environmental Officer at the OSCE Office in Yerevan. “It is crucial that this initiative translates into a tangible contribution to people’s lives, making the business environment more friendly and open to economic development.”

Scott Jacobs, a consultant with Jacobs, Cordova & Associates, said: “Armenia’s prosperity is driven by markets and entrepreneurs and its potential for growth is affected by government regulations. A single paragraph in a law can kill an entire emerging industry. It is therefore critical that regulators across the government understand basic principles of good market regulation, and use these principles in their everyday work.”

He added that the training will provide background to the national regulatory reform underway in Armenia, and help prepare the ministries to continue supporting job creation, increases in wages and new opportunities for young Armenians through good regulations.

Armen Yeghiazaryan, Head of the National Centre for Legislative Regulation, said: “The Regulatory Guillotine is a multi-layer exercise that includes different groups of stakeholders. Ministries and state agencies, as the implementing entities, are critical partners for us. It is very important to co-operate in reviewing the legal system and making reform recommendations. I believe that the series of training sessions will move our collaboration to a new, more co-operative level.”

Promoting good economic governance in Armenia is the aim of the Regulatory Guillotine project, and is initiated and supported by the OSCE Office in Yerevan. Project donors are the Austrian Development Agency (the operational unit of the Austrian Development Cooperation), OSCE Office in Yerevan and the World Bank.