Yerevan, 14 July 2017 – The European Business Association attended discussions at the regular session of the Small & Medium Entrepreneurship Development Council of the Republic of Armenia, chaired by Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan, and raised the issue related to the recent change in the Law on the local duties & fees, according to which the calculation base of the local duty for the trade of alcohol & cigarettes as well as for the organization of public food is the total size of the general building.
The initiative to differentiate the rates & decrease it for the SMEs is generally welcomed but during the law application “general building” causes problems. The Prime Minister instructed to discuss again the issue with Yerevan Municipality & present a proposal. The meeting next discussed the findings of a survey, which recommends the warning as a preliminary administrative measure for outstanding tax payments. The EBA raised the issue that if the taxpayer made an offence/technical mistake which does not result decrease/loss of taxes, also apply soft administrative measures. The Prime Minister instructed to discuss again the issue with State \revenue Committee & present a proposal. In the frame of the decriminalization of series of economic crimes subject to prosecution under the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia, in addition to presented 4 economic crimes, Prime Minister instructed to make a survey among businesses to know its opinion for decriminalization of additional ones if any.