NA debates initiative in first reading: Executive body plans to pay a monthly surcharge to investigators of Investigative Committee

About 95% of criminal cases regarding crimes committed in Armenia are investigated by the Investigative Committee. Under the conditions of such a quantitative increase in criminal cases, the daily working time of investigators of the Investigative Committee often reaches 12-13 hours. According to the Deputy Chairman of the RA Investigative Committee Arsen Ayvazyan, they often work non-working hours and days.

With the amendments to the Law on Remuneration of Persons Holding State Positions and State Service Positions, the Government proposes to pay a monthly surcharge in the amount of 92% of the official rate to persons holding autonomous positions in the Investigative Committee. The deputies debated the issue at May 23 NA sitting in the first reading.

According to the rapporteur, as of 2020, 32.483 criminal cases were examined in the Committee's proceedings, in 2021 - 41.883 criminal cases, in 2022 - 59.830 criminal proceedings. If in 2020 the average annual workload of one investigator was 73 proceedings, in 2021 their number was 87, and in 2022 - 111 proceedings.

According to Arsen Ayvazyan, the regulations proposed by the draft are interrelated with the RA judicial and legal reform strategy for 2019-2023, as well as the anti-corruption strategy for 2019-2022.

Arsen Ayvazyan responded to the deputies' questions. They referred to the possibility of providing a surcharge as a result of the attestation in the system, the overload of the investigators, etc.

According to Arsen Ayvazyan, the salary of a junior investigator is about 300 thousand AMD, in case of a surcharge it will be about 570 thousand AMD. In response to the deputy Arsen Torosyan's question, the rapporteur underscored that increasing the number of positions of investigators will not reduce the workload. According to him, due to riskiness, overcrowding and low social guarantees, there is less attractiveness to the structure.

The NA Vice President Hakob Arshakyan, touching upon the regulations proposed by the initiative, mentioned that they are the implementation of a part of the strategic approaches of the Government. "We, as a political team, have repeatedly stated that civil servants should receive an adequate salary, because their work is directly related to the development of the RA, increasing the efficiency of administration."

The member of the NA Standing (Head) Committee on State and Legal Affairs Alkhas Ghazaryan presented the endorsement of the Committee. She and the speaking deputies of the Civil Contract Faction Heriknaz Tigranyan and Armen Khachatryan welcomed the initiative.

The law is expected to enter into force from 1 June 2023.