DEPUTY MINISTER DOWNPLAYS CONCERNS THAT IMPOSITION OF ADDITIONAL TAXES WOULD INCREASE SOCIAL BURDEN

ARKA
Feb 22, 2010

YEREVAN, February 22. /ARKA/. A deputy territorial management minister
downplayed Friday popular concerns that introduction of additional
taxes would only increase the social burden.

Earlier the government sent to parliament a package of bills on making
changes to the laws on taxes, budget system and local government,
calling for introduction of a long set of additional taxes, which
the government said should be collected by local authorities.

The deputy minister Vache Terterian said even if the package is
approved by the parliament, the bulk of the proposed taxes will not
be imposed immediately.

In his words, the idea behind the package is to try to vest local
governments with effective administration tools which would help the
central government to more effectively supervise their performance.

He said the proposed package is designed to help improve collection
of some local taxes, particularly, land and property taxes.

According to Terterian, the other proposed taxes are not mandatory
and each community will be free to choose whether to levy them or
not. He said special laws will be passed for each of the proposed
tax, which include taxes on property, land, hotel, sales, unfinished
construction, uncultivated land, advertising, car parking . The
parliament is expected to vote on the proposed bills on February 22.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress