Thursday, 5 June 2008
RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan visited the RA State Customs Committee by the Government and introduced to SCC staff newly appointed head of the Committee Gagik Khachatryan. The Prime Minister said in particular:
"You very well know him, the skilled expert who keeps track of the situation and, to our belief, is the one to provide for effective operations of the customs service, program performance and, on the other hand, to carry out such reforms as will ensure that customs services are competitive in the Republic of Armenia and live up to the best of global experience, are acceptable to those citizens and businessmen who make customs payments, the charges on this administration are minimal and fail to create obstacles to business and, on the contrary, promote entrepreneurship in our country. It is not a secret that this is a major problem in the Republic of Armenia. We are a small country and the volume of imports and exports grow every year. This means that from year to year the work of the customs service should vary and comprise such potential to provide for the delivery of high-quality services. The future of our economic system is dependant on the efficiency of your work and the quality of your services. We have no alternatives: the quality of customs services should be the best in the region and meet the best global experience. And this will be brought about through your hard work. We are convinced the Mr. Khachatryan closely follows the developments in this field, and is in a position to carry out the needed reforms. You are on the first line of our front, and your work accounts for the attitude of domestic tax-payers to our State because due to those difficulties which first of all face the authorities and the State, we lose in the trust of our citizens which is extremely dangerous. I want you to realize this responsibility as your success will be the success of our State.
I want to congratulate Mr. Khachatryan and assure you that he will get every possible backing from us in order we manage to address this important task through joint efforts and are proud of having built up the most effective customs service in the region. And this has to be a reality obvious to everybody and our people, first of all. I congratulate Mr. Khachatryan and, at the same time, I have the honor of introducing to you his newly appointed assistant
