SMEs TO MAKE 40% OF ARMENIAN GDP IN 2006

Noyan Tapan
Dec 25 2006

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 25, NOYAN TAPAN. In 2006, production of small and
medium enterprises will make 40% of Armenian GDP against 39.8% last
year, and the SMEs will make 17% of the export against 16.4% last
year. Ishkhan Karapetian, Executive Director of the SME Development
National Center (DNA), stated this during the December 25 press
conference. According to him, in 2006, about 11 thousand new SMEs
were registered, in which over 20.5 thousand jobs were created (52.8%
of them – in marzes). According to I. Karapetian forecasts, in late
2006, the SME development index calculated by UN methodology will
reach 240 against 179.1 in 2005. He also noted that in 2006, within the
framework of technical and advisory assistance envisaged by the annual
program on SME state assistance, the SME DNC provided to start-up and
operating SMEs the necessary tachnical and advisory assistance for
external economic activity, purchase of conveyer lines and equipment,
introduction of new technologies, search of partners, attraction and
management of financial resources, protection of intellectual property,
licensing, standardization, conformity certification, development of
business and investment programs, accounting, presentation of customs
reports. 350 mln drams (about 832 thousand USD) was allocated from
the state budget for implementation of the annual program, and 110 mln
drams was attracated thanks to cooperation of international and foreign
organizations and local self-government bodies. In the period under
review, 4,684 start-up and operating SMEs (98.3% of them in Yerevan)
received information and advisory assistance.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress