Sona Ayvazyan, Chair and Lena Nazaryan, Project Assistant of Transparency International Anti-corruption Center participated in parliamentary hearings organized by the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs in the National Assembly of Armenia on February 15, 2011. The event brought together parliamentarians, representatives of the Armenian government, educational institutions, concerned companies, NGOs and media to discuss the Mining Code of Armenia and respective amendments in other legal acts.

TIAC had came up with comments and recommendations regarding a number of key issues, in particular, rational management of natural resources, adequate environmental impact assessment, implementation of the polluter pays principle, transparency of information, reflection of social issues. The issues raised by TIAC were not duely reflected or solved.

Sona Ayvazyan expressed a concern that the rates of profits received for mining activity to be paid to the state budget may presumably be low, since some of the state officials are mine owners themselves or favor the owners and therefore they are not inclined to pay large sums for mine exploitation.