“Haykakan Zhamanak” comments on the merger of the State Tax Service and the State Customs Committee. “The customs has collected more revenues that it was supposed to, while the tax service has underperformed of late,” says the paper. “In order to hide the tax service’s blushes, part of the extra sums raised by the customs were transferred to the tax service’s account at the end of every month. The merger of these agencies will solve, among other things, this problem.”
“The tax and customs services have been once again merged probably to ensure that the tag ‘separatist’ is not slapped on the government of Tigran Sarkisian,” “168 Zham” notes with sarcasm.
“Azg” looks at government plans to make it mandatory for small market traders to have cash registers. The paper says the government has tried unsuccessfully to do that in the past because of protests staged by traders incited by market owners and some political groups, notably Artur Baghdasarian’s Orinats Yerkir Party. “The political will has been shown,” it says. “If nobody tries to exploit this issue for their political interests then most of the retail turnover will be accounted for with corresponding contributions to the state budget as early as this year.”
“There were many shortcomings in the tax and customs services that needed to be rectified,” writes “Hayots Ashkhar.” The paper says the two agencies must also play an important role in ensuring fair business competition. It says one of the reasons why there is no level playing field for all businesses in Armenia is that “these two structures operated independently.”
“Hraparak” reminds that the head of the newly formed State Revenue Committee, Gagik Khachatrian, has faced serious corruption allegations in the past. “This is the person who was publicly accused of bribery by the owners of the Royal Armenia company,” says the paper.
(Hrach Melkumian)
“The tax and customs services have been once again merged probably to ensure that the tag ‘separatist’ is not slapped on the government of Tigran Sarkisian,” “168 Zham” notes with sarcasm.
“Azg” looks at government plans to make it mandatory for small market traders to have cash registers. The paper says the government has tried unsuccessfully to do that in the past because of protests staged by traders incited by market owners and some political groups, notably Artur Baghdasarian’s Orinats Yerkir Party. “The political will has been shown,” it says. “If nobody tries to exploit this issue for their political interests then most of the retail turnover will be accounted for with corresponding contributions to the state budget as early as this year.”
“There were many shortcomings in the tax and customs services that needed to be rectified,” writes “Hayots Ashkhar.” The paper says the two agencies must also play an important role in ensuring fair business competition. It says one of the reasons why there is no level playing field for all businesses in Armenia is that “these two structures operated independently.”
“Hraparak” reminds that the head of the newly formed State Revenue Committee, Gagik Khachatrian, has faced serious corruption allegations in the past. “This is the person who was publicly accused of bribery by the owners of the Royal Armenia company,” says the paper.
(Hrach Melkumian)