Monday, 31 March 2008
At the Office of Government, RA President-elect, Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan met with representatives of domestic small and medium-size businesses, including representatives from social entities and entrepreneurs' unions, as well as enterprise owners. In attendance were heads of concerned ministries and public agencies. Serzh Sargsyan has been briefed on the implementation status of the assignment given at a previous meeting held on last March 15. Opinions were exchanged on the problems faced by small and medium-size enterprises, on the ways for their decision and eventual development programs.
Serzh Sargsyan stressed that considering the important role of small and medium-size business to domestic economy, he was going to show consistency in holding interested discussions with a view to addressing through joint efforts the problems facing the sphere, creating favorable conditions for the activities of small and medium-size enterprises. He promised to keep on calling meetings like this until there is a final conclusion over the ways to tackling the problems encountered.
As to the compliance with the assignments given by Serzh Sargsyan at the previous meeting, the deputy head of the State Tax Service by the Government reported that, attended by representatives of over 20 public organizations and unions, ministries and agencies concerned and members of Parliament, a consultative meeting had been held at the Armenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry which discussed the legal status, taxation and administrative issues concerning such enterprises. Following these discussions, the problems raised were divided into four basic groups: a) book-keeping and tax accounting problems, b) administrative issues c) paperwork bottlenecks d) questions concerning small entrepreneurs. Proceeding from the above and with a view to finding concrete solutions to the foregoing problems, in-depth discussions have been held with the ministries of finance and economy, trade and economic development, the RA State Tax Service by the Government. Today the outcomes of these discussions are submitted to the Prime Minister.
In conclusion of the meeting, Serzh Sargsyan instructed those concerned to have the meeting minutes agreed with all the participants by providing exact specification of the ways and timings for their decision so as it would be possible to hold another such meeting, should there remain any unresolved issues.
