CERTAIN PROGRESS IS OBVIOUS IN IMPROVEMENT OF THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT, ARMENIAN ECONOMY MINISTER SAYS

ARMENPRESS
Dec 23, 2009

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Economy Minister Nerses
Yeritsyan with the request of Armenpress news agency referred to the
steps implemented this year toward improvement of business environment
in Armenia.

– Mr. Yeritsyan, have you succeeded to carry out initially planned
events directed toward the improvement of business environment in
Armenia during the running year?

– A certain progress is obvious and may be witnessed by the registered
indexes, but I cannot say that all the issues have been solved. Of
course, the crisis was an impeding circumstance for the speeded-up
implementation of reforms as a big attention is being paid to ensuring
the budget and keeping the social expenses on a high level. This year
there was also an issue on involving international resources. There
is a certain progress, there are positive perceptions, and next
year a greater progress will be ensured in respect of improvement of
business environment.

– Which were the challenges of the sphere in the passing year in
conditions of global financial-economic crisis?

– The spheres of services and high technology and those which had space
in the outside market and managed to preserve it mainly succeeded to
overcome the crisis. Other accentuation must be made on diversification
of the economy and promotion of export. The Armenian companies must
be able to increase their export potential. It has always been in
the program of the government but previously used few tools must
now be improved. It is necessary to increase the availability of the
European and other more developed markets and eliminate the complexes
of creation, registration of companies and relating with the state.

– If in the first case we may mention the "GSP+" system, which will
be the way of reaching the second important goal?

– For the solution of the first issue even your mentioned tool is not
enough, we must be able to eliminate the technical obstacles, change
the quality system so that the product we produced be recognized by
the markets of developed countries. And for the solution of the second
issue a concrete action plan exists and all the investments will be
made for reaching it. – What concrete steps will be undertaken to
promote export? Will it be possible to balance the import and export?

– As of the moment a great work is being carried out, tools are being
designed so that we will be able to direct the small and medium-sized
entrepreneurship support programs toward export. The issue is not
brining to balance, as the consumption will increase more on the
account of variety of products, economic growth, but the increase of
the tempo of export. The European market will be of interest for the
Armenian products. We have the former USSR market, the next step is
achieving the European one.