ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT ADOPTS IN FIRST READING PACKAGE OF TAX AMENDMENTS

NOYAN TAPAN
SEPTEMBER 15, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 15, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA National Assembly adopted
in the first reading the revised package of tax amendments submitted
by the government – at the first sitting of its autumn session
on September 15. The preliminary version of the package had been
discussed at the previous session, but on June 10 the government
proposed postponing the vote by up to 15 days in order to hold joint
discussions on the package by the parliamentary factions and the
government and to revise it based on the discussions’ results.

To recap, the package had been a subject of a heated debate and sharp
criticism, mostly due to the addition to the Law on Taxes, by which
it was envisaged introducing an institution of the representative of
the tax body in big business.

Deputy Minister of Finance Suren Karayan said prior to the vote that
the powers of the tax body’s representative, as well as the scope of
current tax control through this representative have been reduced to
a minimum and regulated in the revised package.

73 NA deputies voted for the package of bills, 23 voted against it, and
one deputy abstained from voting. Among those who voted against were
the members of ARF and Heritage factions, some independent deputies,
including former speaker of the National Assembly Tigran Torosian.

The parliament also passed in the first reading the bill on making an
addition to the Law on Scientific and Scientific-Technical Activity
discussed previously.

The bill envisages honorary payments for full and corresponding members
of the RA National Academy of Sciences who are engaged in scientific
activity in Armenia, or carry out a mission abroad for a period of up
to three months. Under the current law, the indicated honorary payment
(its amount is established by the government) is a lifetime payment.