Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan received members of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (Employers) of Armenia.
The Prime Minister said he expected to hear about their concerns over the existing impediments to business and at the same time, learn of their expectations from the new government in terms of providing a favorable business environment.
On behalf of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, UIE Chairman Arsen Ghazaryan congratulated Karen Karapetyan on assuming the office of Prime Minister and wished him fruitful activity. He dwelt on a number of issues, which had been raised during discussions with UIR-member employers. In this respect, Arsen Ghazaryan welcomed the Government’s initiative to implement structural changes, stressing the importance of renaming the Ministry of Economy into Ministry of Investment and Business Support that will make its efforts more targeted.
Karen Karapetyan noted in turn that the Ministry of Investment and Business Support will become a bridge between the Government and domestic employers and will assist the latter in all matters. “Our objective is to change the attitude toward entrepreneurs. We will try to assure you that we are partners. We are prepared to respond to your concerns on a regular basis in order to achieve maximum transparency in our joint work,” the Head of Government said.
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According to him, the most important task of his government is to ensure that conscientious entrepreneurs feel comfortable, while entities in black economy understand that they should become conscientious taxpayers. “If we fail to reassert our control over the black economy, we will not be able to reset the country on its feet.”
As to the steps toward improving the business environment, the Prime Minister said that for instance, the Government was considering the possibility of granting certain tax benefits – including for hydrocarbon supplies – in such sectors that are inexistent in Armenia. These conditions will not create any problems for others in terms of competitiveness and will lead to increased investments and new jobs.
The meeting next focused on the strategy of macroeconomic development, competitiveness, the draft Tax Code and other issues of topical interest.
In conclusion, stressing the importance of similar discussions and the need for continued cooperation with the business community, the Premier said to be looking forward to a quick response and specific proposals concerning the Government’s initiatives.
