Armenian Parliament passes new Tax Code (video)
On October 4, Armenia’s National Assembly voted 78 to 19 to adopt the new tax code. Before the vote, lawmaker Edmon Marukyan announced that he was against the bill. Mikael Melkumyan from the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) said the BHK faction would abstain from voting, while Khachatur Kokobelyan suggested holding more debates as the ‘new code increases the tax burden.’ Hrant Bagratyan from the Armenian National Congress (HAK) said he was against the bill as most of his proposals, had been rejected. Addressing his fellow colleagues last week, Bagratyan particularly suggested imposing taxes on the Armenian Apostolic Church. Head of the HAK faction, Levon Zurabyan, said their specialists had not participated in the debates. They found that the bill was introduced in haste and were going to vote against it. “Mr. Sahakyan, I have complaints against you and the NA staff. Why didn’t you send out special invitations in advance? We have held 25 discussions but they have not participated in them,” Vardan Ayvazyan, a lawmaker representing the Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) faction, said. HHK lawmakers Murad Muradyan and Vrezh Markosyan voted for their their absent colleagues. NA Speaker Galust Sahakyan announced that BHK lawmaker Tigran Urikhanyan had submitted an application to lay down his mandate and had 15 days to change his decision.
