Prime minister orders internal investigation into why world competitiveness report used old indicators on Armenia

YEREVAN, September 6. /ARKA/. Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan instructed to make an internal investigation into why the World Competitiveness Report used old indicators on information technology in Armenia.

In the latest report of Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) of 144 economies of the world compiled by the Geneva-based World Economic Forum (WEF) Armenia ranks 82nd , up from 92nd place it occupied last year and 98th in 2010.

"The report has estimates incomprehensible to us, particularly in relation to information technology and internet accessibility. It is unclear why the authors of the report used the 2009 database," the prime minister said at a Cabinet session today instructing the transport and communication to conduct an internal investigation. The minister said the investigation has already been launched.

The head of the Public Services Regulatory Commission, Robert Nazarian, said that the latest report of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) characterized Armenia’s ITand telecom sectors as the most dynamic.

"The same report says that over the past five years, the number of mobile subscribers tripled in Armenia from 1.2 million to 3.3 million, as a result, Armenia is on the 33rd position by number of users per 100 people," Nazarian said.

"In particular, over the last four years, we have recorded a fourfold increase in Internet users," Nazarian said, adding that Armenia is the regional leader by this indicator (37%). Azerbaijan’s figure is 36%, and Georgia’s is 29%. -0-

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10:51 09/07/2012