BUSINESSMEN INSPIRED BUT A LITTLE FRIGHTENED
By Ara Martirosian
AZG Armenian Daily
17/05/2008
Armenian business
They urged PM Tigran Sargsian to continue the amendments
Representatives of the Armenian business circles met with Prime
Minister Tigran Sargsian on May 15 in the government to discuss the
strategy coming from the government business assistance program.
The Prime Minister announced that the government intends to form the
best business environment based on international standards and with
that oppose those competitive restrictions that are available in our
country compared with others.
As many businesses are more expensive here than in the region,
formation of the best business environment will contribute to the
thing that conducting business in Armenia will be more profitable
than in neighboring countries, said the PM.
Tigran Sargsian mainly touched upon the government goals of improvement
of taxation system. The PM highlighted the businessmen’s support for
the amendments in taxation system.
President of the Union of Armenian Manufacturers and Businessmen
Arsen Ghazarian mentioned that the business society is really inspired
with the steps taken by the government, but it is a little frightened
whether those steps will be temporary or continuous.
"If it goes on several months, the businessmen will really believe
in it", he said adding that amendments in the Customs are approaching
to the taxation field.
President of the "Merchants of Armenia" Tsolak Gevorgian in the name
of the representatives of small business also welcomed the government
steps directed to the improvement of business environment.
President of DCA company, NA MP Gagik Abrahamian assured that the
ice is broken and it is seen and heard by the businessmen every day.
Issues of privileges in the sphere of information technologies,
decrease of taxation tariffs, division of small, middle and big
businesses, etc. were raised during the meeting.
The Prime Minister mentioned that cooperation between private and
public sectors will be an equal cooperation. The state should support
the private sector in those spheres that are promising but need big
investments and risks and it should take part of the financing and
risks but only giving a guarantee that it will come off the business
after.
Touching upon the questions raised by the businessmen Tigran Sargsian
mentioned that a universal division of small, medium and big businesses
is not available in the world. Armenia should adopt its own model
studying the international experience. It will be an agreed variant
between the businessmen and the government.