Scandalous revelations of RA Control Chamber: the field of education has undergone inspection
This year RA Control Chamber carried out inspection at RA Ministry of Education and Science, “National Institute of Education” CJSC and National Information Centre on Academic Recognition and Mobility (ENIC).
The Control Chamber uncovered numerous violations. Pursuant the report issued by the Control Chamber, during implementation of “Education content and methodological support and training of teachers in the secondary schools,” which has been financed by two stages—AMD 505 million 826.8 thousand and AMD 507 million 945 thousand, the National Institute of Education upon its first report showed its actual expenditure more by AMD 793.7 thousand, and by the second report less by AMD 9 billion 674.2 thousand, instead of the defined 10000, in fact, 8077 pedagogues have been trained.
AMD 19 million 191.5 thousand has been provided for connection service, more by AMD 12million. Moreover, besides main phone lines, 75 mobile numbers are used by the Institute and the Ministry of Education and Science, meanwhile upon 2015 budget proposal financial means haven’t been planned for mobile communications. Upon the program’s budget proposal means have been planned without grounding and calculations. The Institute provided expenditure more than by AMD 7.7 million pursuant the article of office and economic materials, transport expenditures have been “swollen” by AMD 1 million 635.8 thousand, at the same time, unexpected expenditures have been implemented. On the whole, if we remove necessary expenditures, AMD 30 million extra allotments have been recorded.
It’s noteworthy that in the previous years the Institute invested balances of the means, allotted by state budget for different programs, in the bank. As of January 1, 2016 balance of monetary resources of the Institute comprised AMD 202 million 137.2 thousand.
The Control Chamber uncovered overuse in the “Pre-vocational and vocational education and training (VET) reforms” program as well. Thus, according to the report, upon the VET program AMD 166 million 171.2 thousand has been allotted. Under AMD 129.6 million actual expenditure by performance report the expenditure was introduced AMD 162 million 963.6 thousand, i.e. more by AMD 33 million 362.7 thousand.
Transportation expenditures may be classified to the number of “curious” ones—AMD 812.1 thousand, however, NCVETD doesn’t have an attached transportation means, also by the article of communication, electricity, communal and other expenditures AMD 9 million 111.2 thousand was allotted, in case, when NCVETD doesn’t have attached facilities, isn’t a subscriber to any service, and functions in the building of the National Institute of Education, occupying 4 rooms. The Control Chamber recorded that upon the VET budget proposal “development of standards and assessment criteria” and quantity of “invested module programs” have been defined—17 from each. However, from each 10 have been developed, for which respectively AMD 22 million 440 thousand and AMD 11.9 million has been planned to allot. For unfinished developments, the amount allotted by the state budget—AMD 24 million 38 thousand, is subject to return to the state budget.
AMD 140 million has been planned to allot upon “Higher professional education evaluation system reforms” program, from which AMD 90 million to the National Institute of Education, AMD 50 million to National Information Centre on Academic Recognition and Mobility (ENIC). Accordingly, differentiated mechanisms of credit system and students’ payment should have been installed in the higher educational institutions.
The Control Chamber recorded, that purchase of work and services by AMD 58.3 million from AMD 68.8 million has been implemented with violation of the law. In particular, AMD 12 million 325 thousand has been paid to ACS company for provision of translation equipment and service for the Ministerial summit, although the event was planned neither by budget proposal, nor by cost estimates, and for organization of the official dinner in “Ojakh” restaurant AMD 11 million 220 thousand has been paid. And events amounting AMD 4.5 million had no connection to the purposes of the program, for instance, dinners in “Ojakh” and “Salon” restaurants, stay in “Armenia” hotel, or AMD 2.4 million has been paid to “Street workout and street lifting” sports NGO for organization of the tournament in Armenia.
By Gayane Khachatryan
