Armenian president offers to give ‘green light’ to import-replacing businesses
09.04.2011,
04:25
President Serzh Sargsyan met today with 70 prominent Armenian businessmen running industrial companies as part of a visit to Armenian Molybdenum Production plant to discuss ways to improve the business environment and boost economic growth.
YEREVAN, April 8. /ARKA/. President Serzh Sargsyan met today with 70 prominent Armenian businessmen running industrial companies as part of a visit to Armenian Molybdenum Production plant to discuss ways to improve the business environment and boost economic growth. The meeting was organized at the initiative of the businessmen.
“It is evident that improvement of the business atmosphere and fighting obstacles is a government duty, but it is wrong to expect the government to cope with this task all alone. We should rely on unions of businessmen, on people who are eager to find solutions to the most pressing problems, hindering economic growth’ the president said, adding that all ways and chances to talk to each other should be used.
The meeting lasted for several ours and by all appearances it was quite effective. The businessmen were extremely active in raising their concerns and offering ways to solve this or that problem. After listening to all, president Serzh Sargsyan came out with an unprecedented initiative, saying all new industrial businesses will be exempted from basic taxes for 3-4 years. He said a special law might be developed and passed to that end.
‘The government should use every possibility to help businesses which will be set up and based on innovations. If they manufacture products that are manufactured in our country we are ready to free them from basic taxes for a period of 3-4 years. More precisely, to exempt them from profit taxes and allow VAT payment deferment,’ president Sargsyan said.
Arsen Ghazarian, chairman of the Union of Industrialists and Businessmen, said this is a very important message in terms of giving businesses a fresh incentive. He said the model proposed by the president is very effective in a sense that Armenia’s market is small and manageable and the proposed approach is the only right one.
‘Our pompous and high-flown concepts must yield in to concrete action and projects. Only this way we will be able to create conditions to recover at least 20% of our past industrial might,’ he said.
Martin Sarkisian, chairman of the Armenian Commerce and Industry Chamber, said a latest study has identified the list of imported products that could be manufactured in the country, naming, particularly, ceramic kitchen utensils that is being brought from other countries.
Vazgen Safarian, chairman of the Union of Armenian Manufacturers, said the meeting with president Sargsyan was unprecedented both in terms of its format and content. He said the president called on the business community to be more active in raising their issues of concern.
‘Today we had a nice opportunity to convey our concerns regarding tax administration and other problems to the president,’ he said. He added that the government, private and public sectors ‘have synchronized their watches’ and expressed hope that this will result soon in concrete outcome. -0-
“It is evident that improvement of the business atmosphere and fighting obstacles is a government duty, but it is wrong to expect the government to cope with this task all alone. We should rely on unions of businessmen, on people who are eager to find solutions to the most pressing problems, hindering economic growth’ the president said, adding that all ways and chances to talk to each other should be used.
The meeting lasted for several ours and by all appearances it was quite effective. The businessmen were extremely active in raising their concerns and offering ways to solve this or that problem. After listening to all, president Serzh Sargsyan came out with an unprecedented initiative, saying all new industrial businesses will be exempted from basic taxes for 3-4 years. He said a special law might be developed and passed to that end.
‘The government should use every possibility to help businesses which will be set up and based on innovations. If they manufacture products that are manufactured in our country we are ready to free them from basic taxes for a period of 3-4 years. More precisely, to exempt them from profit taxes and allow VAT payment deferment,’ president Sargsyan said.
Arsen Ghazarian, chairman of the Union of Industrialists and Businessmen, said this is a very important message in terms of giving businesses a fresh incentive. He said the model proposed by the president is very effective in a sense that Armenia’s market is small and manageable and the proposed approach is the only right one.
‘Our pompous and high-flown concepts must yield in to concrete action and projects. Only this way we will be able to create conditions to recover at least 20% of our past industrial might,’ he said.
Martin Sarkisian, chairman of the Armenian Commerce and Industry Chamber, said a latest study has identified the list of imported products that could be manufactured in the country, naming, particularly, ceramic kitchen utensils that is being brought from other countries.
Vazgen Safarian, chairman of the Union of Armenian Manufacturers, said the meeting with president Sargsyan was unprecedented both in terms of its format and content. He said the president called on the business community to be more active in raising their issues of concern.
‘Today we had a nice opportunity to convey our concerns regarding tax administration and other problems to the president,’ he said. He added that the government, private and public sectors ‘have synchronized their watches’ and expressed hope that this will result soon in concrete outcome. -0-
