MEMBERS OF "REPUBLICAN PARTY OF ARMENIA" DISTURBED

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[07:39 pm] 04 October, 2007

"Do we have confidence, that the business structures work transparently
and honorably and their cooperation with tax bodies are true? Are
we bothered by deception, hidden income and that some businessmen
survive by rising the prices of food and other goods?"

These issues bother the member of the "Republican Party of Armenia"
Hermine Haghdalyan. When she talked about the rise of prices with
the Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan, the latter said that this process
was not profitable on the eve of elections and but it did not depend
upon him.

Today Heghine Naghdalyan commented on this approach of the Prime
Minister: "If we manage to ensure the transparency of business and
be sure that we a have a system where no importer or exporter may
deceit or cheat and pays more taxes for getting super incomes and it
is returned to us, if we have this system and confidence, then all
problems will be solved".

To our question, what doesn’t allow the "Republican Party of Armenia"
to carry out such policy since it has been the ruling party during the
last 9 years Mrs Naghdalyan answered: "This process demands 5-10 years.

This problem refers to the system, culture, norms and people". Then
Heghine Haghdalyan reminded that when she was not a deputy and
was engaged only in business and in her NGO, there was a huge legal
vacuum. "Being a businesswoman, I have felt these gaps and the vacuum
and a decade was needed to fill in this gap". Mrs Naghdalyan considers
that we have a serious legislative field today. She said that the State
Committee on the Protection of Economic Competition still operates and
reminded the discontent of people when it was established. "But the
structure was established, and the law was improved, they wanted levers
and we gave it to them, but we do not see the results of it. Where
are the works that have been carries out in this field? The Committee
on Economic Competition should inform us on why the prices of retail
goods rise in the result of the prices of wholesale goods. We have
established a structure which has an essential influence and we want
to see its impact".

To our question whether the Committee may have an impact on the
monopolist deputies who act illegally, Mr Naghdalyan answered: "Yes,
if there is a political field".

By the way, according to the RA legislation, the function of regulating
the prices is carried out by the Central Bank, not by the Committee
on Economic Competence. The Committee only responds to the fact and
makes sure that the supreme body doesn’t abuse its position or make
anti-rivalry agreements.