SHADOW ECONOMY AND RESTRICTED WAYS TO INTERNATIONAL MARKETS CAUSE MONOPOLY PHENOMENA IN ARMENIA
Noyan Tapan
Oct 7, 2009
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 7, NOYAN TAPAN. The jubilee 30th two-day sitting of
the CIS Interstate Council for Antimonopoly Policy (ICAP) started in
Yerevan on October 7. Among the participants are heads and members of
not only the ICAP, but also antimonopoly bodies of Hungary, Austria,
Romania, and local representatives of the European Commission, OSCE,
AEPLAC, GTZ, World Bank, and USAID.
According to a report of the RA State Commission for the Protection
of Economic Competition, prior to ICAP’s sitting, the 13th meeting
of the staff for joint research on violations of the antimonopoly
legislation of CIS member states was held.
RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan made a speech of welcome, in
which he said: "We are concerned about the current monopoly-related
phenomena in Armenia, which are caused by the shadow economy and the
restricted ways to international markets because export and import
operations through the territories of Georgia and Iran are expensive,
the small and medium business cannot afford it, so big players
remain in the field. Armenia’s georgraphical location also hinders
domestic competition". According to him, the anticrisis measures of
the government aim to diversify the economy, assist small and medium
enterprises, particularly by making loans accessible to them, and to
implement reforms in tax and customs administration.
Chairman of the RA State Commission for the Protection of Economic
Competition Ashot Shahnazarian said that the time dictates new
demands. He underlined the necessity for new approaches, which are
modern not only in the relations of competing departments, but also
for the public.
Chairman of ICAP Igor Artemev attached great importance to the
implementation of antimonopoly programs in CIS countries, saying:
"It is necessary to promote an exchange of experience and help each
other in the development of the antimonopoly policy".