Epress.am News from Armenia
After the consultation with Armenian government staff, RA Minister of Transport and Communication Manuk Vardanyan invited journalists and about ten demonstrators into his office.
Recall that retailers are protesting the increase in fees for importing goods, which has increased from $4 to $8 per 1kg of imported goods.
Retailers use the services of shipping companies, such as Caucasus Tour, Narine, and David Tour, in order to import goods from countries such as Turkey and Syria. They are being told that it is the freight companies that have raised the fees, not the government.
“Shipping cargo is not a licensed activity. It’s a ‘free’ activity, privatized,” Vardanyan explained, noting that no changes have been made in customs services or in the laws of any other government body.
Note as well that retailers haven’t signed any agreements with shipping companies.
“If you make internal arrangements with private persons in Turkey, what is the government here [in Armenia] supposed to do?” he said, adding that in the event of a crime being committed, the government will launch a criminal suit.
It turned out that the companies are importing products into Armenia as individuals (and not businesses). They provide invoices which show that people are buying the goods from them in Armenian territory, and not, for example, from Turkey. “You see, you’re all deceiving everyone, including the state,” said the minister.
Those gathered in the minister’s office asked him to show them in writing that no changes in the law have been made and once again said that the shipping companies are laying the blame on the government. The minister, in turn, suggested they write a joint appeal for the prosecutor to deal with this issue.
The transport and communication minister also promised to contact the chair of the customs committee, in order to receive written proof that no changes were made to the rates of customs duties. The demonstrators agreed to wait for his response before deciding on their next steps.