Armenian government turns down legislative initiative to grant temporary permission to street traders

YEREVAN, May 12. / ARKA /. The Armenian government turned down a legislative initiative motioned by a number of Armenian MPs asking the government to amend the Law on Trade and Services and grant temporary permission to street traders who had been banned to trade on streets earlier this year, economy minister Tigran Davtian said today.

Speaking at a Cabinet session he said the draft bill proposes to take an interim decision on the activities of citizens engaged in street trade, which, according to Davtian, would be a step backwards.

"The government's view is unchanged and principled in this regard" - he said.

The street trade in Yerevan was banned by a 2004 municipality decision, but previous administrations failed to enforce it. The new mayor Karen Karapetian ordered the ban on street trade shortly after taking office. The ban was enforced immediately by police that cleared sidewalks of people selling a wide range of goods.

The ban caused angry protests of street vendors who say they have lost their sole source of income. hundreds of them protested for several days outside the Yerevan Mayor’s Office.

The traders who will violate the ban face a penalty between 10,000-20,000 Drams. According to Yerevan municipality, 12  mini-markets opened in Yerevan to offer retail trade places to  about 3000 people who lost their source of income.  -0-