There is a billboard attached to a building on Sayat-Nova street with the following information written on it: SAYBOLT-ARMENIA laboratories company (Holland Kingdom). We have found out that this is a representation office of a company registered in Holland.
It has been more than ten years that “Seybolt-Armenia” LTD is a representative office in Armenia of the Central Seybolt company registered in Holland (ISO system certification No 9001-2000) and handles the following services in Armenia: laboratorial examination of oil products (petroleum, gas, diesel, etc.), drinking water, and other products. In other words this company does what is the monopolistic right of the quality inspection department of the RA trade and economical development ministry. The difference is that the mentioned ministry department has to examine the market, find violations and register these violations, make statements and support the quality development in our market, but this company usually works in case of having orders. As we know usually almost all Armenian companies don’t want to publish information about the quality of their products and what remains a mystery is who places orders at this company and who their clients are. We tried to find out some information from the head of the mentioned inspection, Youri Kabalyan. The main priority of the mentioned inspection is to be out of any pressure from the parties examined and there are such inspections in over 100 countries. “Usually Seybolt is occupied in making quality examinations of oil products in the whole world, but as we are not given oil products in Armenia, we usually do other works here and check the quality of other products”, says Mr. Kabalyan. Regarding what they usually do he said, “For instance you have imported a big quantity of candies from Russia and want to know whether a part of your product has been stolen on the way or not. Our representatives go there and count your products. And if a part of your product is missing, we prepare a statement, on the basis of which later you can claim your loss from the importing company or from your supplier”. According to Mr. Kabalyan they also have a laboratory with necessary technical facilities intended for oil products, but usually there are no such orders because usually these companies apply to the state body responsible for this. “We work well, that is why they don’t place orders and don’t work with us, because they are not interested in correct estimations, they usually give money to the corresponding state body and get the paper they need. We do everything in a duly manner, we tell them that the quality mark of their gas is not 95, it is 88, and they don’t like this approach and don’t apply to us any more”, says Mr. Kabalyan. Regarding the oil market of Armenia he says that it is mafia and there is no sense to fight against it. He says that the gas sold in Armenia is a mixture of different materials which is bad for cars. “They sell other gas under the name “premium” and about 70% of that gas capacity is mixture. This is the reason why drivers prefer “super” or “premium” quality gas because these contain less mixture. This is the gas market of Armenia. If it wasn’t widespread they would apply to us to examine the quality, but they don’t bring it because our fair estimations are not in their interests”, says Kabalyan. As for the food and drink markets, he says that the quality of the coffee that we drink is very low. He advises consumers either to buy coffee beans and make it themselves or to buy packed coffees. He says that coffee packs should not contain air, because when coffee is mixed with air its quality is low. He advises only to buy coffee in vacuumed packs.
According to the deputy chief of the quality inspection body, Boris Sahakyan, there were not any companies like this before when they used to be a part of the government, but now when they are already a part of the trade and economy ministry, the field is free and such activities are allowed. “Russians don’t let such companies work actively”, says Mr. Sahakyan and adds that these kinds of quality inspection companies cannot be their competitors because their body is a state-run.