ACCORDING TO NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DEPUTIES, AMENDMENTS IN TAX LEGISLATION MAY ENDANGER ARMENIAN ECONOMY
Noyan Tapan
Dec 5, 2008
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 5, NOYAN TAPAN. The tax legislation amendments
presented by the RA government to the National Assembly with the aim
of ensuring the execution of the 2009 state budget may be dangerous
for the Armenian economy under conditions of the global economic
crisis. Several deputies of the National Assembly expressed this
concern at the December 5 sitting of the NA Standing Committee
of Economic Issues. In particular, member of "ARF" faction Artsvik
Minasian said that the heavy tax burden may reduce circulating assets
of enterprises and hinder the expansion of their activities.
The package submitted by the government includes 11 bills, including
bills on value added tax, profit tax, fixed payment and honorary
payments.
According to the deputy chairman of the State Revenue Committee Aharon
Chilingarian, the amendments proposed in these bills are aimed at
encouraging investments and local production.
In particular, it is proposed that enterprises with an annual turnover
of less than 58.2 million drams, part of whose operation is taxed by
charging fixed payments, should be given the opportunity to choose the
united tax regime. Among such enterprises are hotels and hairdressing
saloons. A. Chilingarian said that this amendment is proposed at the
suggestion of entrepreneurs themselves, in order to rid them of long
checks and red tape.
In the opinion of deputies, it is risky to raise the rates of fixed
payments. Particularly, the matter concerns fixed payment for hotels
without qualification: it is envisaged fixing the monthly payment at
3 thousand drams per a square meter, which, according to deputies,
is an excessively high payment.
The deputies also expressed discontent with the mechanism of
introducing value added tax (VAT) in agriculture. In the words of
member of "Heritage" faction Larisa Alaverdian, the proposals to
create farms is reminiscent of the Soviet-time collectivization
which, according to the rules of that time, also was allegedly to
be voluntary.