The level of awareness about anti-corruption programs in Armenia still remains low, even though it has increased a little during the past year, says the head of the Yerevan center of a Caucasus network focused on research and collaboration between researchers and policy practitioners.

Director of the Armenian center of the Caucasus Research Resources Centers (CRRC) program Heghine Manasyan says that while last year only six percent of 1,600 respondents knew about the activities of anti-corruption programs in Armenia, then this year the number of such respondents has grown by one percent. “It [awareness] has definitely increased, but still remains low,” adds Manasyan.

CRRC is a network of resource, research and training centers operating since 2003 in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia with the goal of strengthening social science research and public policy analysis in the South Caucasus. The program (www.crrc.am) is a partnership between the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Eurasia Partnership Foundation.)

In late 2009 and in January 2010, CRRC’s Armenian center conducted a survey to gauge the opinions and perceptions of the public and business circles about corruption in Armenia.

One person from 1,515 households and 400 private enterprises each were questioned as part of the survey titled “Corruption in Armenia: Public and Entrepreneur’s Opinion 2009”.

Manasyan says that the results of the survey show that the level of awareness of anti-corruption activities of the government and nongovernmental organizations is higher among businesspeople than among households. Studies also reveal that the public and entrepreneurs expect little from NGOs and do not believe that civil society groups are able to wage struggle against corruption.

“Both the public and businesses expect from NGOs consultations, explanations about their rights, so that they know what rights and duties they have if they find themselves in corruption-prone situations,” explains Manasyan.

Both households and entrepreneurs consider that corruption in Armenia is more spread among high-ranking officials.

“Businessmen described the Central Election Commission as the most corrupt institution… The public made more mentions of the healthcare, education and judicial systems,” says Manasyan.

The survey also shows that corruption for businessmen today is a problem equal to the economic crisis.

Manasyan calls it alarming that both sides are not afraid of engaging in corruption-based relations. Only 7-8 percent of respondents mentioned that they are afraid of punishment, she says.

“When you ask them why they engage in such corruption-based relations, they answer that this is what everyone in Armenia does,” says the CRRC Armenian center director.

While the respondents of the survey themselves called corrupt practices a ‘disturbing phenomenon’, they said they hardly trusted the government’s capacity, strength and political will to uproot corruption.

Manasyan also says that respondents in the polls proposed stricter punishment and fuller application of the law as possible solutions to the problem in Armenia.

“Such polls are very important. The more frequent we talk about corruption, the more people will be ready to make practical steps. Very little was said about corruption in the past, and today the situation is quite the opposite. I consider it to be a positive step,” she says.

The survey was conducted with the sponsorship of USAID’s Mobilizing Action Against Corruption (MAAC) Activity.