Yerevan, 3 July 2024 - The State Revenue Committee of the Republic of Armenia (ASRC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Armenia today inaugurated a brand new Digital Forensic Laboratory (DFL), which will help to strengthen the ASRC’s institutional capacity to identify, acquire, extract, and preserve digital documents as well as effectively analyse, interpret and present electronic evidence in court to prosecute tax evaders and fraudsters. Support for the lab was provided as part of the UNDP Tax for SDGs initiative, funded by the Governments of Norway and Finland.

The state-of-the-art Laboratory features cutting-edge technologies, such as cloud forensic solutions and specific software for mobile devices. The National Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia provided specialized training to selected ASRC staff members to run and manage the lab.

The Digital Forensic Lab emerges as a strategic response to insights gained from the joint UNDP/OECD Tax Inspectors Without Borders (TIWB) Criminal Investigation programme. UNDP, leveraging the TIWB experience, supported ASRC in setting up a cutting-edge digital forensic lab, marking a significant leap in the fight against illicit financial flows and tax fraud.

In his welcoming remarks, Rustam Badasyan, Chairman of the State Revenue Committee, appreciated the UNDP and donors support and said, “The establishment of the DFL is well in line with the policy of digitalization of the tax administration that, despite existing obstacles, is leading the ASRC toward modernization.”

Natia Natsvlishvili, UNDP Resident Representative in Armenia, underscored the importance of tax collection as a tool for redistributing wealth within society, reducing poverty and inequality. “The opening of this new lab is in line with the mission of UNDP’s Tax for SDGs Initiative, to assist the countries in aligning their tax policies with the Sustainable Development Goals and strengthen tax administration capacities through digitalization and innovation,” said UNDP Resident Representative.

The opening ceremony was attended by H.E. Bergljot Hovland, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to Armenia, and H.E. Nilakshi Saha Sinha, Ambassador of India to Armenia. 

During the event, a Memorandum of Understanding between the UNDP Country Office Armenia and the ASRC was signed to outline reciprocal commitments in managing the DFL.