CONGRESS OF UNION OF ARMENIAN IT ENTERPRISES HELD

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, NOYAN TAPAN. A new concept of Armenia’s IT sector
is being developed by the RA ministry of trade and economic development
jointly with the Union of IT Enterprises (UITE). The union is the main
initiator of developing this document and will be the ministry’s
partner in implementation of this concept. The RA deputy minister of
trade and economic development Vahe Danielian stated this at the
February 6 congress of the UITE.

The chairman of UITE Hovhannes Avoyan said in his speech that since the
foundation of the union in 2000, the number of its members has
considerably grown, as well as its role and influence have increased.
At present the UITE is a full and associate member of 23 big
organizations of IT and other sectors. H. Avoyan attached importance to
2007 – the year in the union’s history "when during a meeting with the
RA president, our important problems were outlined and prerequisites
for developing a new stratgy were created", as well as discussions and
other events were held.

The executive director of the union Karen Vardanian pointed out in his
summary report that the 2008 state budget for the first time envisaged
allocations for development of the IT sector: for research,
presentation of the Armenian IT sector abroad, specialized contests,
and other programs. According to him, if the Armenian government adopts
the indicated concept in the form of the current draft, the UITE must
develop a new strategy of the union because the problems of the current
strategy will be solved with adoption of this concept. K. Vardanian
said that the appreciation of the Armenian dram against the US dollar,
the imperfect customs legislation, inconsistency between the
educational system and the requirements of the IT sector may be an
obstacle to implementation of the ambitious goals envisaged by the
draft. He considered the absence of a separate state body performing
the function of the sector’s management as an obstacle to development
of the sector too. It was stated that proposals to create such a body
and to discuss the problems hindering the sector’s development have
been submitted to the Armenian prime minister.

The director general of Synopsys Armenia company Hovik Musaelian and
the director of the Enterprise Incubator Foundation Bagrat Yengibarian
also made speeches at the congress. Then the UITE’s financial report
and reports of various sections of the union were presented. After
discussion of the presented programs, speeches and proposals, the
congress delegates took part in elections of chairman and members of
the UITE board.