“SME Cooperation Association” NGO former vice-president, member of “Kasecum (suspension)” initiative, Samson Grigoryan, addressing the conflict between State Revenue Committee and “Arinj Mall”, finds that certain substantiations published by “Solidarity” NGO and prepared by its members are reasonable. Let us remind you that “Arinj Mall” entrepreneurs were protesting in front of the Parliament, demanding to cease tax checks. In line with it, “Tsarukyan” alliance MPs were announcing in Parliament that tax checks at “Arinj Mall” (belonging to Gagik Tsarukyan family) were simply a “terror” and if State Revenue Committee wanted to find a shadow, then let it search for it in oligarchs’ castles at Monument district. After these blamings SRC published tax data of “Arinj Mall”, “Petak” and “Surmalu” markets. Pursuant to that statement, SRC doubts that “Arinj Mall” pays little tax having many employees, SRC doubts that “Arinj Mall”, having 748 entrepreneurs, declares only 338 employees, witnessing that in one booth only 0.4 people work.
“Solidarity” NGO has opposed to this publication of SRC, assuring that the figures published by SRC are not real. The NGO notes: “We find it important to witness that 748 taxpayers do not have 338 employees, but 338+748 employees, inasmuch as the vast majority of 748 are private entrepreneurs, and they are considered employees themselves. That is, the number of employees published by SRC does not comply with the reality. The second important fact, which SRC bypasses, is that “Arinj Mall” operates 12 days in a month, and the remaining markets introduced in the publication of the SRC work during the whole month.”
Besides this they have also pointed out that this market, unlike other 2 ones, are located out of the capital and the product they sell is cheap. Samson Grigoryan referred to this, saying that the example brought up by the SRC relative to the number of employees is ridiculous: “Forasmuch as personal entrepreneurships are carried out by the very owners, who are registered as the owners. Very few people can afford themselves having employees. In shops I know the entrepreneurs work by themselves. And I do not think there are a lot of sellers at “Arinj Mall”. The biggest booth is 20 square meters, even 1 employee is enough there.”
As regards the turnover of this market indicated by the State Revenue Committee, Grigoryan explained he could not insist for sure if they were right or wrong: “However, I do not think sellers of cheap Chinese clothes will have a very high turnover. I know that the night shifters of Hrazdan market have moved to “Arinj Mall”, and the cheapest products were sold there. As far as the location is concerned, I should say that no one will go there to buy a pair of socks or a piece of cloth, no one will reach “Arinj Mall” for that. And “Petak” and “Surmalu” are at the center of the city and the opportunities are bigger.”
Samson Grigoryan gets surprised on why State Revenue Committee does not introduce the registration of “Norfolk Consulting” SME’s super-cargo opened by itself with the same enthusiasm, which, according to the media, belongs to “Norfolk Project LP” organization: “And they send everyone en masse to that super cargo. This company has started a very serious cooperation with state bodies, we can say, even reaching a strategic seriousness. I mean, that the lion’s share of customs clearance is in this company’s hands. And country’s economy depends greatly on customs clearance. Why State Revenue Committee does not introduce the number of employees of the enterprises of gigant famous oligarchs with similar enthusiasm? Lately, there was a publication in media, stating that the owner of “Alex Textile” (MP Samvel Alexanyan, N. B.) told the President he had 500 employees, and in reality the double half of them are registered.”
Besides this, Grigoryan also urges SRC to publish another indicator: “Why SRC does not want to say what has changed by this 5% and 1,5% turnover tax change. We told them thousands of times to publish how many percents of businesses have passed to 1.5% turnover, how much of them have remained in the same place. This indicator would show what really goes on at our customs gates. These are important numbers. Why SRC does not represent with the same enthusiasm that our people clear products from customs duty in Kazakhstan, and then import into Armenia within EAEU frameworks. Rather big importers, even cargos, go and clear their product from customs duty in Kazakhstan’s customs offices, then bring to the Republic of Armenia in EAEU frameworks without clearance. But why? Very doubtful things go on here.”
Grigoryan does not exclude that shadow exists in small business: “But the shadow of the small one, so to speak, do they neglect the large ones, seeing the small one first?”
As stated by Samson Grigoryan, SRC should speak of why it does not want to refuse control prices which are of a huge difference from the prices of invoice of imported products, and because of this small business avoids withdrawing from shadow entirely: “Because small business will have very big problems in that case. Why SRC does not tell that the benchmark of the turnover was lowered from 110 million to 58 million AMDs. That is, SRC pursues the principle of keeping the small ones in fear for them not to make an attempt of working plainly and transparently.”
Nelly BABAYAN
