Monday, 23 April 2012
SME Development Council Discusses Amendments To Law On Licensing Fees
Chaired by Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, the Small and Medium-Size Enterprise Development Council met in an extraordinary session at the Office of Government.
Addressing the meeting, the Prime Minister stated in part: “Today's meeting is dedicated to some provisions of the law on licensing fees. The issue has been a subject of heated debate since this norm came into application. Queries are being received from different sectors as to which way the provision should be applied and whether it is possible to amend the law in favor of small and medium businesses.
As you may remember, the Ministry of Finance and the State Revenue Committee were told to take up the matter in the wake of our latest meeting and submit such recommendations as would on the one hand ease the government’s task and, on the other hand, might create favorable conditions for small and medium-sized businesses.”
Deputy Minister of Finance Suren Karayan and Deputy Chairman of State Revenue Committee Armen Alaverdyan provided the details of the proposed amendments to the law on licensing fees.
The following amendments were proposed, in particular:
(1) Enable taxpayers to carry out license fee settlements on a monthly basis, as well as allow for lower rates payable for three, six, nine or twelve month’s licenses.
(2) In food industry, separate the minimum amount payable for up to 50 sq. m-wide spaces from that due for up to 20sq. m and 21-50 sq. m premises to enable the smallest caterers limited to 20 sq meters to pay 2.5 times as less as stipulated by the procedure.
(3) Enable the persons domiciled (registered) at the same address to produce a single license for the use of the same vehicle.
(4) Revising the deadlines set for the second quarter of 2012, to enable the payment of licensing fees for the second quarter within the period envisaged under the first license through June 1, 2012.
(5) Enable the self-employed to undergo technical overhaul for their privately owned vehicles once a year instead of twice.
During the exchange of opinions that followed the speakers raised a number of issues related to the amendment.
Summing up the meeting, the Prime Minister said the proposed changes will go a long way toward facilitating the operations of small and medium-size businesses.
Endorsing the approaches set out in the report, the Council directed the Ministry of Finance and the State Revenue Committee to develop a joint draft government decree and a bill on amendments to the law on licensing fees in order to ensure the application of the aforementioned rules and regulations.
