PM: CRISIS GIVES ARMENIA IMPETUS FOR IMPLEMENTING REFORMS IN FISCAL POLICY

Noyan Tapan
Oct 7, 2009

YEREVAN, October 7. /ARKA/. The current crisis gives a strong impetus
for implementing ambitious reforms in fiscal policy, Armenian Prime
Minister Tigran Sargsyan said Wednesday at the 30th session of the
interstate council of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

He pointed out tax and customs administration as one of Armenia’s
biggest troubles.

"We have grave problems and a large lag here", he said. "Quality of
tax and customs administration prompts many questions at the government
and businessmen – that is why a breakthrough is needed here."

The government has worked out a program in an effort to put things
right.

This program got a high mark from international experts.

However, the premier said, the program implementation is a problem.

"We face serious problems here – the tax agency itself and businessmen
are not ready for that, since certain traditions and relations between
tax agents and businessmen have formed for the last decade, and it is a
very difficult and painful to break these relations," the premier said.

"We view this crisis as a chance giving us a strong impetus for
implementing more ambitious reforms in this area."