RA ECONOMIC COURT POSTPONES EXAMINATION OF 6 RADIO COMPANIES’ LAWSUIT AGAINST GOVERNMENT UNTIL MARCH 22

Noyan Tapan
Mar 13 2007

YEREVAN, MARCH 13, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA Economic Court postponed
examination of the lawsuit of 6 radio companies against the Armenian
government until March 22. Thus the court satisfied the defendant’s
petition to be given time in order to become acquainted with
objections of plaintiffs. To recap, these radio companies demand
to recognize as invalid the governmental decision concerning the
setting of payments for radio broadcast frequency. By the decision,
the RA ministry of transport and communication is authorized to set
the amount of these payments. According to plaintiffs, in accordance
with Article 45 of the RA Constitution, the order and amount of taxes,
duties and other mandatory payments is regulated by law. However,
the Law on Television and Radio says nothing about the amount and
order of setting of broadcast payments. In the words of Artashes
Hovsepian, representative of the defendant, Head of the Juridical
Department of the RA Ministry of Transport and Communication, the
demand of radio comapnies is unfounded, as by the law on legal acts,
the government regulates all legal relations which are not regulated
by the RA Constitution, law or presidential decrees. To recap, at the
February 27 sitting, the court satisfied the petition of Olga Safarian
(lawyer representing interests of the radio companies) to be given
time to become acquainted with the government’s answer and present her
objections. The court postponed the case examination until March 12.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress