The April 10 four-day sittings of the National Assembly began with the approval of the agendas. During the first sitting the MPs debated and approves the decision of the National Assembly on Making Addenda on the agenda of the session, and during the second sitting - the first section including with endorsement debated in the head committees and the decisions of the National Assembly on extending till 30 days a number of drafts were not adopted due to the lack of quorum. So, during these four-day sittings the National Assembly can touch upon only the compulsory and due to necessity drafts of the third section (there were no issues included in the second section of the agenda) to be debated.

The MP Viktor Dallakyan, highlighting the issue on Approving the Report of 2001-2003 Programme Implementation of the Privatization of State Property and The Annual Report on the Activity of RA Human Rights Defender and on the Violation of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in the Country During 2005 put on the agenda, proposed to make the video and show them on Public TC, which, however wasn’t passed as a result of voting.

The National Assembly continued the debate of the draft submitted to the first reading on Amending the Law on Approving the List of Goods Imported by Organizations and Solitary Entrepreneurs under a 0 Customs Rate and not Subject to Excise Taxation, for which Customs Authorities shall not Accrue and Collect Value Added T ax.

As Gurgen Arsenyan, head of the United Labor Party (ULP) faction assessed, the percentage of the indirect taxes in Armenia gradually increases, which proves the non-competitive situation of the economy.

The MP Areg Ghukasyan presented the RPA faction’s viewpoint, noting that though the Government tries to create equal conditions for economic entities and take the same taxes for the raw materials, but does not take into account that the part of the raw materials can be designed for long-term consumption. The faction proposed the Government to take taxes for all imported goods but not for all goods at the border. Mr. Ghukasyan informed that if the Government passes their proposal till the second reading, the faction will vote for the draft.

Tigran Davtyan, RA Deputy Minister of Trade and Economic Development ensured in his final speech that the goal of the draft is to eliminate the non-equal taxation, the privileged state of the goods.

Karine Kirakosyan, Head of State Property Management Department adjunct to RA Government, introduced the Implementation Report of 2001-2003 Program of the State Property Privatization. The speaker informed that as the RA Government has already introduced 2001, 2002, 2003 annual reports, her report mainly relates to the year 2004.

The debate of the report will continue at April 11 sitting.