SERGE SARGSSYAN MEETS WITH BUSINESSMEN

ARKA
March 31, 2008

YEREVAN, March 31. /ARKA/. Armenia’s president elect, prime minister
Serge Sargssyan held another meeting with the representatives of small
and medium-sized businesses, NGOs and associations representing
business interests. The meeting was also attended by heads of
ministries and departments involved who reported on the fulfilment
process of the tasks they had been instructed with at the March
15 meeting.

The sides exchanged views on the problems facing the small and medium
businesses, their possible solutions and sector development projects.

Sargssyan stressed the importance of small and medium businesses in
Armenia’s economy and pledged to work consistently for revelation of
the sector’s problems and creation of favourable business conditions.

Sargssyan also pledged to hold such meetings unless an agreement on
solutions to all the sector’s problems is reached.

Deputy Chief of the RA State Tax Service reported that pursuant
to the premier’s instruction the Chamber of Industry and Commerce
had organized a discussion on the legal status of small and medium
businesses, tax and administrative issues. Over 20 public organizations
and associations, ministries, departments and parliament members
attended the discussion.

The discussion topics on agenda were divided into four groups
comprising accounting and tax, administrative problems, document
circulation and small business problems.

Sargssyan issued an instruction to coordinate the protocol of
discussions with all the sides involved specifying terms for settlement
of each problem.

In case there are issues on which the sides fail to agree another
such meeting will be held.