Tuesday, February 13 2018 12:16

ArmInfo.Calling an extraordinary meeting of the parliament, the opposition pursued a  specific goal. Deputy Finance Minister of Armenia David Ananyan stated this at a meeting with journalists on February 11, commenting on the initiative of the Elk faction on convening an extraordinary meeting on February 16.

In particular, according to Ananyan, the fraction "Tsarukyan" will  once again try to make proposals on changes in the income tax scale  that were not received by the positive review at the stage of  consideration in the permanent commission on economic issues of the  National Assembly. Proposals are expected to reduce the excise tax on  liquefied gas and diesel fuel. "At the same time, any change in the  tax burden, if it is not accompanied by another proposal to restore  or counterbalance its impact, is speculation. This is a golden law,"  the deputy minister stressed, adding that if "unilateral" proposals  are submitted, they should be considered in political, and not  economic plane, with the purpose of emotional impact on the public.

At the same time, Minister of Finance Vardan Aramyan urged not to  take the word "speculation" as an insult. "We have great respect for  our partners, this is their point of view and we are obliged to  listen to it," the Finance Minister concluded.

According to the decision of the chairman of the National Assembly of  Armenia Ara Babloyan, on the initiative of the deputies on February  16 at 11:00 an extraordinary session of the parliament will be  convened. The agenda includes a bill on introducing amendments and  additions to the Tax Code. It was initiated by the opposition faction  "Elk", which managed to collect the signatures of 29 deputies instead  of the required 27. The initiative, according to the opposition, is  aimed at preventing price rises and easing the tax burden.

The Tax Code of Armenia, adopted in September 2016, was criticized by  the country's expert and entrepreneurial community, since, in their  view, the document is conceptually directed not at development but to  meet the state's fiscal objectives. It was also noted that the hasty  adoption of the document was due not only to the incomprehension of  the previous government of the country's goals, but also to the  demands of the IMF and the World Bank, who urged the government in  connection with the need to allocate another $ 130 million aid  package to the country.