Armenian MP accuses government of cronyism
Arminfo
24 May 05
YEREVAN
MP Tatul Manaseryan from the opposition Justice bloc accused the
Armenian authorities of cronyism while speaking in parliament today.
“Cronyism in Armenia is evident not only in patronizing business
entities that do not pay taxes, but also in establishing symbolic and
miserable taxes for separate entities,” PhD in economics Tatul
Manaseryan said.
He recalled that the establishment of inappropriate tax rates is
punishable under Article 213 of the Criminal Code of
Armenia. Moreover, the deputy accused government structures of
criminalizing the economy, especially, of establishing and protecting
monopolistic companies, which is punishable under Article 200 of the
Armenian Criminal Code.
“The union of criminal elements and the financial elite leads to grave
consequences, which can be proved by the war the customs authorities
have been waging against the Royal Armenia company for more than three
or four years and by the application of double standards with regard
to this company and coffee importing companies where high-ranking
officials have relatives,” Manaseryan said.
[Passage omitted: Royal Armenia company has won several legal cases]
He described as a lie the assurance of the Public TV chairman, Aleksan
Arutyunyan, that Public TV broadcasts speeches by MPs without
abridgement. “Out of my speech on Monday, Public TV cut precisely the
episode where I spoke about Royal,” Manaseryan said.