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Gyumri Council of Elders Grants Property Tax Exemptions to Church, Councilman Says

Archbishop Mikayel Ajapahyan, Primate of the Shirak Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, has appealed to the Gyumri Council of Elders requesting exemption for the Shirak Diocese from paying second half 2015 property taxes for six cars, Epress.am was told by Council member, Head of the Gyumri-based Asparez Journalists' Club Levon Barseghyan.

This is not the first time, Barseghyan said, the church turns to the Council with such request, which, as a rule, are granted: “I, personally, think that AMD 44-45 thousand is not a huge amount of money for the church.”

According to the interviewee, tax exemption requests in Gyumri are also common among ordinary citizens. During an October 15 sitting, for instance, the Council will discuss war veteran Hovhannes Shekoyan's property tax exemption request. The veteran asked to be exempt from paying taxes for his Chrysler since he became disabled after fighting in the Karabakh war, losing both his legs, the councilman said.