DO YOU WANT TO ELIMINATE THE PEOPLE?
A1Plus.am
04/02/10
"What type of draft law are you bringing to parliament? That’s what
I would ask, if I were part of the opposition," said today head of
the parliamentary faction Galust Sahakyan in regard to the package
of taxing reforms presented by a first reading yesterday.
He was not complaining about the fact that the government is proposing
8 new types of taxes, but that the draft law was criticized by the
coalition and not the opposition.
Galust Sahakyan accused his coalition partners of making attempts
to look "democratic". "I am sure that if you put the draft law up
for a vote, it will pass. But may these 15 days make you literate,"
said the head of the faction, accusing the deputies of illiteracy.
Let us remind that the RA Government has presented the RA National
Assembly with the legislative package that envisages changes and
additions in the RA laws on "Taxes", "RA Budgetary System" and "Local
self-government". The package proposes to set the list of types of
local taxes.
Along with the current state taxes for property and land, the
government is proposing 8 new local taxes for hotels, sale, incomplete
construction (or real estate that is not kept in good conditions),
taxes for uncultivated lands of agricultural significance, tax
for not using construction areas for its purposes, tax for placing
advertisements on buildings that are considered as the district’s
property, a tax for parking and one for occupying public territories.
According to the draft law, each district must enforce the land and
property tax, while the enforcement and rate of other local taxes
must be set by each district’s council of elders and presented to
the head of the district.
Galust Sahakyan stated that the deputies and the presses are confused
because there is no increase in taxes. The local self-government
bodies must decide how much tax they impose.
According to deputies against the draft law, this could lead to
emigration. "If the villager doesn’t have lands (and if a tax is
imposed, he will be forced to give up his piece of land), he will
leave the country," said "Heritage" faction deputy Armen Martirosyan.
"This is like stealing," added Stepan Safaryan.
Victor Dallakyan continued the topic and said that when the ministers
of the coalition vote for the presented draft law, the deputies of
the same political party show that they care and are against the
draft law to the media and the people.
"People don’t have money for bread. Do you want to eliminate the
people?" asked Dallakyan.
The legislative package will be put for a vote in 15 days, that is,
the next four-day session. Until then, the package will be drafted.