LAW ON POSTAL COMMUNICATION AGAIN IN THE AGENDA OF MASS MEDIA

Panorama.am
15:22 08/06/06

“The practice of the law has indicated that the concept of “postal
communication services” has been misinterpreted since subscription
services is also understood under it. Those organizations that offer
only subscription services are equalization with organizations that
offer wide variety of other postal services. Therefore, they are
charged for licensing similar to complex postal services – 5 mln
Armenian dram. Such approach will cause liquidation of subscription
services and will end up in monopoly in the field, Boris Navasardyan,
head of Yerevan Press Club said today. According to him, the law
is unfavorable in terms of economy and contradicts to a number
of legal acts, including article 27 of the Armenian Constitution
which protects freedom of information. He said small subscription
services cannot afford AMD 5 mln license fee. “They will withdraw
from the market soon,” he said. After all, the service will be
concentrated in the hands of the national operator – Haypost and
the field will be monopolized. Armen Davtyan and Rafael Tadevosyan,
representatives of Bliz Media and Press Attache also doubted the
logic of the law. “Suppose, I take a credit and pay AMD 5 mln. But
then I have to increase my service fees and in the end the burden
will lay with the customers,” A. Davtyan said assuring that this is
not in the interest of the government proclaimed policy to support
small and mid size businesses.

The interest in the law is connected with the proposal of United
Working Party to make amendments in the law on postal service. The
draft gives solutions to the abovementioned problems and satisfies the
people concerned, as Navasardyan said. The people interested, however,
are concerned that the government will downplay the bill.