Media: Armenian Finance Ministry's 'blacklist' of Russian companies grows

For the past decade, the Armenian Ministry of Finance has been publishing regular lists of companies whose participation in public procurement is banned. Since 2013, more than 1,400 companies have been blacklisted.

The decision to include companies in this list is made based on the complaint filed by the client and the decision of the Procurement Appeals Commission. The period of exclusion varies from 6 months to 3 years. The Ministry of Finance regularly updates the list on the website of the procurement system.

Caliber.Az reports citing analysis by Armenian media that the number of companies on the blacklist has increased more than tenfold since the change of government in 2018. Before that period, around 120 companies were on the list. After May 2018, the number increased to around 1,280. For 2023, about 300 companies have been blacklisted, with some having appeared more than once.

"Among the most prominent participants in the blacklist are companies such as 'Royalsis Engineering' LLC, registered in the British Virgin Islands, whose owner is David Galstyan, known as Patron Davo, who is accused of committing embezzlement on a particularly large scale together with former Armenian Defence Minister David Tonoyan.

Also on the list are Moston Engineering LLC, registered in the Marshall Islands, and Business Diversity Limited LLC, registered in China, which provides services to the Armenian Ministry of Defence. Also blacklisted due to deficiencies in their activities are 'Esarpi Schneider & Partners Engineering Consult' LLC, registered in Germany, which specialises in construction and technical supervision, and 'Glavdorstroy' JSC, registered in Moscow, which is involved in road construction.

It should be noted that the blacklist also includes Russian companies such as RusatomExpertiza LLC, BelEnergoMash JSC, Biotech LLC, Elar Gold LLC and others, which provided services to the Armenian NPP," the newspaper said.