1 / 2

At May 7 NA sitting, the initiative of the Government directed to the regulation of the cement and clinker import, making it licensing activity and taxing with certain duty.

The RA Acting Minister of Economy Vahan Qerobyan presented the proposing addendum to the RA Law on State Duty in the first reading.

According to the key rapporteur, the NA Standing Committee on Economic Affairs has not accepted the preliminary version of the initiative aimed at operating the two cement plants existing in our country. “An agreement was reached to introduce the version which was in force until 31 December 2020 during the period from the first to the second reading. The only change is the increase of the clinker import duty,” Qerobyan noted.

“The Standing (Head) Committee on Economic Affairs has not endorsed it,” the Committee Chair Babken Tunyan said. He noted that the Government proposed to set 25.000 AMD state duty for 1 tonne of cement, 9000 AMD for the same amount of clinker. According to Tunyan, at the sitting of the Committee the initiative has been thoroughly debated, and a decision has been made that as a result of the adoption of the initiative, there would be monopoly in the market. The rapporteur informed that the item had been additionally considered at the executive body, an agreement was reached to set 14.000 AMD state duty for 1 tonne of cement, 2000 AMD for the same amount of clinker.

In their speeches the MPs highlighted the fact of having a cement control laboratory, which would give an opportunity to control the quality of cement.