SERZH SARGSYAN: REFORMS LAUNCHED IN ARMENIA ARE START OF HARD AND GREAT WORK

NOYAN TAPAN

JU LY 21

"It is still early to speak about the results of the reforms in
the tax, customs, and traffic police spheres that started during
the 100 days of my tenure," RA President Serzh Sargsyan stated at a
press conference dedicated to the 100 days of his tenure. He said
that all that is a start of hard and great work. "We have started
from spheres, which are significant and important for our people and
were among my program’s priorities, and that work will become more
and more active. We will speak about the results in several years,"
S. Sargsyan mentioned expressing satisfaction with the fact that
there are positive responses in society.

S. Sargsyan advised the oppositionists, who consider that "the reforms
are of imitation nature and will return to their usual course in a
month or two" to wait a month or two and see "whether they return
to their usual course or we advance." At the same time he expressed
confidence that passport sphere and many other new spheres will
be joined them. "Even when many and many people are content with a
sphere’s work, it does not mean that the President should satisfy
himself with that and not show strictness to that sphere," S.

Sargsyan said.

The RA President on the whole considers not completed the
rearrangements in the government, but it is a fact that the main
appointments have been done.

Nevertheless, he promised that the state officials, who do not fulfil
the tasks set before them will be replaced by other ones. "It is
important that the result of a state official’s work be measurable,
serving society be the new approach to the work," the President
said. According to him, there are many honest people in the system,
who are completely for reforms, who are ready to work honestly. "I
clearly realized that new discontent people having levers, funds,
etc. will join those discontent with the results of the reforms, on the
other hand, I am sure that the majority supports us, I am sure that
this work will be a success," the President said. He also mentioned
that he is completely sure that his team’s program is realistic, some
problems will be solved in a shorter time and some in time mentioned
in the preelection program. "We will achieve higher results than it
is mentioned there," the RA President said.

In response to a journalist’s question the RA President said that the
reforms have a goal to create more favorable conditions for small
and medium-sized business, but the problem is that meny people
avoid tax commitments under the guise of small and medium-sized
business. "Imagine that 80% electronics, clothes, and other goods
sold on our Armenian market is circulated at fairs, and I do not think
that their 70-80% is imported to the country by small and medium-sized
business representatives. We should act so as to regulate our market,
the tax sphere. When we have sufficient means we will attend to the
rates of some kinds of taxes to lower them," the RA President assured
those present.

The RA President does not think that the steps being taken at present
are retarded. "In general, I think that many good acts have been done
in the past, as well, and I am absolutely against mentioning the
past only for a bad purpose. The times are different, the problems
and environment are also different, any issue can receive a complete
solution when it matures," he said.