RA President Serzh Sargsyan held a working meting with the top officials of the RA Taxation Service yesterday. The President said that the activities of taxation and customs bodies and the accomplishment of tasks set to them will remain in the center of his attention. Sargsyan said he does not want the working meeting, which are to be regularly held at the presidential residence, to be viewed as an occasion to insult or dismiss anyone. “The goal of the meetings is clear – the last year has seen parliamentary and presidential elections, when election programs were presented to the public. It is time now for the programs to become reality,” said the President. According to Sargsyan, the pivot of the programs is that the experience gained over the past seven years allows the country to launch reforms of the second generation. The RA President pointed out the goal, namely, specifying whether the government bodies are ready for reforms of the second generation and “if so, let us move forward together.” Sargsyan stressed a clear answer to the question as to why the work should be started with the taxation and customs sectors. The President demanded the creation of equal conditions for all economic entities and determination in battling bribery and protectionism. According to Sargsyan, successful implementation of the ambitious programs presented to the public is first of all conditioned by the taxation authorities’ competitiveness. “If they fail to be competitive, we cannot have competitive economy,” stated the President. “Any reform must be accompanied by economic growth and improvement of the population’s living conditions. We have no right to say: dear people, to tighten your belt, wait three, four or five years, until we carry through the reforms of the second generation – then you will live better.” The RA President pointed out the taxation and customs authorities’ primary responsibility for economic growth, better competitiveness, budget execution. Sargsyan inquired about the system’s problems, possible solutions as well as about inadmissible phenomena and ways of eradicating them. “The State Taxation Service must conform to its name and essence. We all must realize that the Taxation Service is supposed to render services to our society, government bodies and business. If we succeed, I think we will accomplish our principal task,” Sargsyan said. The President warned against thinking of everybody as a potential tax-dodger, while the authorities demand tax payment. He pointed out that the Government is a partner of business, roughly speaking, it has a share in business, its share being taxes. “We must be interested in business development and in the increase of our share in it, which will enable us to redistribute the state budget,” the President said. Chief of the RA Taxation Service Vahram Barseghyan, as well as chiefs of departments, presented the plans to reduce shadow economy and corruption and improve tax administration. They pointed out that the work requires amendments to relevant legislation and improvement of procedures. Barseghyan laid emphasis on proper document circulation, which will allow taxation bodies to record the real profits. Otherwise, corruption control is impossible. The participants in the meeting also pointed out the necessity for structural reforms and introduction of electronic control.
