ARMENIAN PM: 85% OF COMMODITY TURNOVER IN ARMENIA MADE THROUGH CASH REGISTERS
ArmInfo
2008-06-24
Eighty-five percent of commodity turnover in Armenia is carried
out through cash registers, which destabilizes the situation in
the market, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said at a meeting with
businessmen Tuesday.
The country’s business circles initiated the meeting to discuss
tax reforms.
‘You will not see such situation in any other country when 85% of
commodity turnover is carried out through cash registers or a plant
producing building materials sells its produce through cash registers>,
the premier said. He underlined that such situation creates obstacles
to tax administration. As a result, the Government banned wholesale
through cash registers a month ago.
The premier urged businessmen to work with shops also through invoices
in order revenue services are able to register the volume of commodity
turnover.
The problem of cash registers was the key topic of the meeting with
the prime minister. Businessmen assured the premier that after
tax reforms the commodity turnover and consumption has sharply
decreased over the last two months. As a result, the Government may
short-receive state taxes, Chairman of the Union of Industrialists
and Businessmen of Armenia Arsen Ghazaryan said. Businessmen share
his opinion and complained also of tax inspections and insufficient
government support to local producers. Businessmen proposed exempting
import of raw-materials and equipment of VAT as a real support to
local business. The prime ministers assured businessmen that the
commodity turnover has not decreased for the last two months and even
shows upward trends. As regards inspections, they meet the program of
tax reforms and aim to reveal risks in the highly profitable sectors
and enterprises where tax collection is low. ‘As long as there is
problem with tax collection in the country, the administration will
be toughened>, T. Sargsyan said. As regards exemption of equipment
import from VAT, the premier proposed submitting the topic to public
discussion.