ADDENDUM ENVISAGED TO BE MADE TO VALID LAW ON "STATE DUTY"

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 2, NOYAN TAPAN. The bill of a number of members of
the Republican Party of Armenia faction, with which an addendum is
envisaged to be made to the RA valid law on "State Duty", was discussed
by the first reading in the November 2 sitting of the RA National
Assembly. According to this addendum, the privilege of foreign people
studying in educational institutions , which implement general
educational and special educational programs in the Republic of Armenia
is restored with regard to the state duty for consular services and
actions.

As Hranush Hakobian, the Chairwoman of the National Assembly Standing
Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Youth and Sport and the
co-author of the draft, mentioned beginning from 1997 up to 2006
inclusive students studying in the RA educational institutions were
exempted from the payment of the state duty for giving documents with
regard to their situation, as well as for services for drawing up
access patents. The restoration of that patent, according to her, will
be applied for teachers and lecturers, who are foreign citizens, as
well, which will contribute to the invitation of foreign specialists by
educational institutions, to conducting joint work and exchanging
productive experience. Moreover, the law will be given a retrospective
force: it will come into force from September 1 of the current year.

According to Hranush Hakobian, the above-mentioned addendum will spread
over 300 foreign students, since the issue of the other students is
regulated with interstate agreements. Thus, the cost of the bill makes
approximately 30 million drams, taking into consideration the fact that
300 people each ought to have paid a state duty of 105 thousand drams
(approximately 320 U.S. dollars). It should be mentioned that the
elimination of this privilege caused a great dissatisfaction among
foreign students and they even organized demonstrations in this
connection.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress