Under the 2010 draft budget the RA Ombudsman’s Office is to receive 125m AMD against 135m AMD this year, RA Ombudsman Armen Harutyunyan stated in Parliament. He reported that liaison and business trip expenses will mostly be reduced. “We are for reducing expenses on business trips abroad, as hosts or donors normally sponsor important meetings. Business trips inside Armenia are more important for us. In this context we consider our negotiations with the Government a success,” he said.

Harutyunyan pointed out that the office has a 47-member staff, with only 28 of them being experts. Over the past two years, 50% of the experts have quitted because of low salaries – the average monthly salary is 119,000 AMD (about U.S. $300).

Whether the Ombudsman will ask the Government to raise the salaries, Harutyunyan said: “It should be done when possible. It is unrealistic to speak of a wage increase amid the budget reduction.”

This year office representatives have paid two or three visits to Armenia’s regions, whereas only one visit to each region will be paid next year. “All the group members visit the regions, after which task groups stay there for two days,” Harutyunyan said.

As to whether the office will become less efficient, the RA Ombudsman said: “We will be able to perform our fundamental tasks. It will not be easy, but the basic expenses have remained unchanged.”