The city authorities have initiated a number of legislative changes to fight against illegal street trade. In particular, a number of amendments have been provided in the law on administrative violations.
According to the head of the Department of Trade and Services Hovik Safaryan, up to now there was only one way to impose administrative responsibility, which was a fine of 15-20 thousand drams in relation to agricultural products, and 50-70 thousand drams in relation to other goods. The analysis of the situation shows that in most cases people either have low paying capacity, or are considered bankrupt and are registered in state bodies as bankrupts. And therefore, all penalties remain on paper. The new law makes it possible to confiscate the goods and return it as soon as the penalties have been paid.
Besides the fact that illegal street trade spoils the aesthetic look of streets and pavements, it also has negative impact on human health. Specialists urge people to keep away from buying food products in streets.
It should be noted that in the period from January 1, 2019 up to now, 980 administrative protocols for illegal trade were drawn up, and only 300 of those were put into action. Thus, only 10 million dram was charged instead of 40 million.
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Yerevan Municipality
