Lawmaker proposes to apply amnesty for fines and penalties (video)
During the debate on the new tax code in the Armenian National Assembly, lawmaker Khachatur Kokobelyan said he hoped the code would be able to recover the country’s economy. “But the draft code does not provide any mechanism to reduce the shadow economy and administration. They say it is impossible to determine the shade in our economy, and I say that it is accurately measured. Now, I want to make a political statement: a less economically developed country cannot be democratic,” said the lawmaker. Mr. Kokobelyan expressed his surprise at the behaviour of some of his colleagues who will vote in favour of the draft, although they are against it. “Perhaps, that is why we have this picture today…” Mikael Melkumyan from the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) was surprised by the fact that only five lawmakers wanted to speak about the new code. He said he had put into circulation a new amnesty bill. “Before defining the new rules of the game we should regulate the sector and apply amnesty the existing fines and penalties. When all reasons for economic development are lost, the country appears on the verge of collapse and the government should use these non-standard tools,” he said.
