BY GAREN YEGPARIAN
Since corruption seems to be all the rage and totally accepted in our homeland, and since many in the west are unaccustomed to the sky-high levels and endless diversity in which this practice manifests itself, I thought I’d do some research and present my findings to Diasporan readers so no Armenian is left out.
Some contend that we are witnessing the beginnings of a decline in the level of corruption. Of course this makes it all the more pressing and timely to learn the techniques and tricks necessary to cash in before it’s too late.
Your first option is to go in with a local, partner up. This way you’ve got an in-house expert to guide you through the serpentine paths of the stygian realm this compact guide is meant to assist you with. Of course, everything has its costs. Now, you’ll have to watch your partner so that s/he doesn’t skim so much of your business endeavor’s potential profits that you end up with a net loss.
There are a couple of ways to avoid this grand garden of graft. Go small, stay under the radar, open a small shop serving a very localized clientele, not making too much money, and you won’t become a target of the insatiable oligarchic avarice consuming the wealth of the nation. Alternatively, you can be extremely, squeaky clean. Hire the best, most competent and knowledgeable bookkeepers and accountants along with equally qualified attorneys. This way, there will be not a single loose end which some zealous, bribe-seeking agent of “Hargayeen”
