Yerevan/Mediamax/. Deputy Chairman of CB Vache Gabrielyan believes that the year of 2009 was a year of formation of the institute of financial ombudsman in Armenia, “and today one can state with confidence that this structure is a success”.

Mediamax reports that he said this at the opening of the international conference on “Increase of Financial Mediation and Consolidation of Trust for the Institute of the Financial Ombudsman”. Vache Gabrielyan described the conference as a “very important event for Armenia”.

According to Armenian Financial System Ombudsman Piruz Sargsian, the main goal of the conference is the exchange of international experience on protecting consumer rights in financial sphere.

In 2009, the office of the Armenian Financial System Ombudsman received 378 complaints, as a result of which financial organization compensated over 26mln AMD to customers.

Banks occupy the first place as to the number of complaints. Then come credit organizations and insurance companies.

Financial System Ombudsmen from Great Britain and the Netherlands, Insurance Service Ombudsmen from France and Kazakhstan, representatives of CIS Central Banks also participate in the conference.