by Haroutiun Khachatrian (07/10/2013 issue of the CACI Analyst)

The Armenian Control Chamber (CC) recently released a highly controversial report on the government’s execution of the 2012 state budget. Under Armenian legislation, the CC is a special non-partisan body which controls the efficiency by which state funds are used. The CC’s president is proposed by Armenia’s president and appointed by the Parliament for six years. The report was presented at a session of Armenia’s parliament, the National Assembly, on June 17 and 18 although it had been ready for some time.

by Eka Janashia (the 06/26/2013 issue of the CACI Analyst)

On June 17, Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) disclosed a covert cache in the western region of Samegrelo, storing videotapes allegedly screening brutal torture, sexual abuse, beating and inhuman treatment of individuals; photos and private data on certain political opponents whose arrests were planned in the event of a United National Movement (UNM) victory in the October 1, 2012 parliamentary elections; and a large amount of explosive devices, military munitions, narcotics and psychotropic medicines.

by Georgiy Voloshin (the 06/26/2013 issue of the CACI Analyst)

On June 21, Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev signed into law a bill introducing a comprehensive reform of the country’s pension savings system. The main novelty of the bill is a provision increasing women’s retirement age from 58 to 63 years, thus ensuring full equality with the working male population. Earlier in April, the chairman of Kazakhstan’s National Bank, Grigory Marchenko, made public the results of an independent assessment made by international experts according to which the state budget might lose US$ 19.6 billion worth of potential tax revenue by 2023, should a similar reform not be adopted by the end of this year.