ROBERT KOCHARIAN: TAX EVASION OCCURS EITHER WITH PARTICIPATION OF TAX SERVICE EMPLOYEES OR WITH THEIR KNOWLEDGE
Editor: Eghian Robert
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Sept 26 2007
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 26, NOYAN TAPAN. During the September 26 working
meeting with the heads of the RA State Tax Service, the Armenian
president Robert Kocharian said that discussions on work of the tax
service have recently become frequent. He noted that the purpose of
the meeting is to fund out if the heads of the tax service can carry
out tasks of this structure, and if so how and with what assistance
they intend to act.
According to the RA president’s press service, the head of the RA
State Tax Service Vahram Barseghian presented the work to be done
and the current problems.
R. Kocharian considered improvement of tax administration as the
priority task of the tax service. "Tax indices should be related to
economic growth and ensure a normal percentage in the country’s GDP,"
he underlined. In his opinion, the shadow sector is still large, while
tax payers avoid their tax liabilities either with the participation
of tax service employees or with their knowledge.
Noting that no unsolvable tasks are set to the tax service,
T. Kocharian expressed confidence that it is quite possible to get
good results by reducing the shadow economy. "Serious reserves exist,
the service just needs to show determination and work honestly,"
he pointed out.
Summarizing the meeting, the Armenian president urged the tax bodies
to make a qualitative change in their work. In his words, their
activities and the solution of the indicated problems will remain
the center of his attention. R. Kocharian instructed the supervisory
service to continue control and report on the situation every ten days.