YEREVAN, November 1. /ARKA/. Armenia is taking an important step towards modernizing its public services delivery with the Strengthening Transparency, Accountability, and Access to Public Services through GovTech project launched on October 31, the World Bank said in a press release.

Funded by the UK Good Governance fund, implemented by the Armenian Government, the launch of the initiative was marked by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the World Bank, the Embassy of UK to Armenia, and the Yerevan Municipality.

The project aims to simplify business processes within national and regional government services, including streamlining and digitization of notary services, construction permits, public sector internal audit functions, and others, making their use faster for the public.

“The World Bank has supported public administration reform through a series of projects since 2004. The Strengthening Transparency, Accountability, and Access to Public Services through GovTech projec seeks to lay the groundwork for digital infrastructure to ensure the most efficient, cost-effective, and easy-to-use provision of public services via digital means. We believe that initiatives like these will contribute to a better business environment and will increase the transparency and accountability of public sector service delivery,” said Carolin Geginat, World Bank Country Manager for Armenia.

An important component of the project is an Annual Statistical Satisfaction Survey, which will collect public feedback and assess satisfaction levels on service delivery. To enhance government personnel capabilities, a capacity building component is included in the project to facilitate the practical implementation of acquired knowledge, ensuring a sustainable approach towards the improvement of public services.

"Public administration reforms are the most important package of reforms in the state administration system. This is not an internal process only, and directly affects the lives of businesses and people. After the signing of this memorandum, I am sure that we will start implementing the first actions with this great momentum and, in parallel, Yerevan Municipality will start implementing a wide range of public administration reform. Historically, the Municipality of Yerevan had a perception of a rather bureaucratic system, and the main goal of this project is to change those perceptions," said Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan.

The project is aligned with Armenia's Digitalization Strategy, which serves as a roadmap towards creating an efficient government.  The project also complements the World Bank’s Public Sector Modernization Project-4 (PSMP4) lending operation, a comprehensive investment in the country's public sector, aimed at modernizing Armenia’s public administration to improve efficiency, accessibility, and overall public service quality.

The World Bank is currently financing 10 projects in Armenia totaling $500 million. Since its inception in Armenia in 1992, the World Bank has provided around $2.7 billion from International Development Association (IDA) to which Armenia became a donor in 2023, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), and trust funds. The World Bank is committed to continuing its support to Armenia in its development path for reducing poverty and sharing prosperity. -0-