Enabling Environment for Sustainable Enterprises in Armenia

What has been done:

The enabling environment for sustainable enterprises in Armenia was assessed through a careful review of secondary data, findings from a large national enterprise survey undertaken in Armenia, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with relevant stakeholders, and supplementary information from published and unpublished materials. The assessment produced a detailed identification of barriers that discourage investment, entrepreneurship, job creation and firm competitiveness.

In line with its mandate to contribute to the development of a conducive environment for enterprises in Armenia, the Republic Union of Employers of Armenia (RUAE) has called upon the ILO to assist the organisation to assess the current business environment in the country and to identify areas for improvement. The information gathered through the assessment enables ILO constituents to identify priorities for the promotion of sustainable enterprises and the transition to formality. For RUEA, the analysis of the enabling environment provides an entry points for the development of policy positions and structured and evidence-based advocacy efforts.

The Survey and its sample:

The EESE Enterprise Survey of Armenia was conducted nationwide in 2015, with the aim of identifying and assessing business environment factors that affect business development and job creation in the country. The survey was conducted  to investigate 17 key factors that affect the business environment. To undertake this work, the 2015 survey established sampling frames for formal businesses.The survey which comprised  in-depth interviews with a total of 300 enterprises (65% small with less than 5 employees, 19% with 15-19 employees and 12% with 20-99 employees). The majority of companies in the sample were private companies (83%) and 63% of all companies surveyed existed for more than 5 years.