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The purpose of the legislative initiative is to reduce additional administrative and financial costs, to improve the business environment, especially for companies in the technology sector. The RA Minister of High-Tech Industry Mkhitar Hayrapetyan said this at the extraordinary sitting of the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs on November 11.

The package of draft laws on Amendments to the Law on the Export of Dual Purpose Goods, Their Transit Transportation through the Territory of Armenia, as well as Control over the Transfer of Dual Purpose Information and Intellectual Activity Results and on Amendments to the Law on Licensing were debated.

As Mkhitar Hayrapetyan presented, the import of goods of military purpose into the territory of the Republic of Armenia, as well as the export and transit of goods of dual purpose from the territory of the Republic of Armenia imply obtaining a license and a permit, respectively. To find out whether the products belong to the specified groups, businessmen order its expertise in the organizations accredited to carry out such activities. It is found out through the examination whether the specific product is a product included in the lists defined by the relevant decisions of the RA government or not.

“Moreover, in the case of a significant part of the goods undergoing examination, it turns out that they are not of military or dual purpose, but the process must be carried out in order to carry out the customs declaration. It implies financial and administrative costs. The 2 accredited companies set the fee for the examination in one day at 48,000 AMD and 60,000 AMD, respectively,” the Minister detailed.

Taking into consideration the fact that the same type of goods is often imported and exported, the RA State Revenue Committee (SRC) already publishes the list of goods, which, according to the main rapporteur, are not military or dual purpose goods. “The publication of the mentioned list essentially promotes the reduction of the administrative and financial burden related to the customs formalities regarding the goods in question, but it is not legally fixed on what principle the products included in the list are chosen and obtained, at what intervals the SRC updates the list and what legal consequences it has,” Mkhitar Hayrapetyan noted.

The purpose of the proposed addenda is to create a legal basis for the publication of the list of goods that have already undergone examination and were not recognized as dual purpose or military goods as a result of the examination and to facilitate customs formalities based on it.

According to Mkhitar Hayrapetyan, as a result of the adoption of the legislative package, it is expected to reduce the financial and administrative costs related to foreign economic activity.

The package of draft laws was endorsed.