"POST ELECTION PERIOD" INFLUENCED ON ARMENIAN ECONOMY
Reporter Armine Minasyan

Panorama.am
20:17 24/03/2008

Interview held with Doctor in economy Tatul Manaseryan.

How can the post election developments influence on the economy in
Armenia particularly on the investment field?

-The situation, of course, can have its impacts on the economy,
and we can say that it has already had its influence.

How could you feel it? Based on what do you say that?

-It is obvious that the businessmen are more careful in their steps,
not necessarily in all their activities but in most of them, especially
those concerning long-term cooperation. Especially those businessmen
are careful who did not ever work in Armenia. What will happen after
is mainly connected with the government and its further steps.

In this sense, what can do the government?

-Many expect more than the country can do. We should be conscious
of our opportunities, even in some president candidates’ projects
they offered such and such amount of jobs. But today there are not
so many big enterprises which could offer us jobs. Country can only
contribute to the creation of jobs with effective economic policy,
carrying out projects with long perspectives. We should get rid of
monopoly. The next is the customs duty. We carry out changes too
often which are confusing for the investors.

Aren’t there problems in tax service?

– The same concerns the tax service either. This is more vulnerable
as people can create their opinions about Armenia just starting
from here. There are many cases when the tax service officers are
not fair with everybody and carry out different approaches with
different bodies.

How could you evaluate today’s investment sphere?

– We can’t say that it is risky as the risks will be less dangerous
when the investors inform other investors that Armenia is not a risky
country of the business activities.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress