Thursday, 22 December 2011
Business Environment Improving
A Cabinet sitting was held today, chaired by Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan.
December 22 is marked as Power Engineer’s Day in Armenia. On this occasion, the Prime Minister congratulated Armenia’s power engineers on behalf of the government, wishing them fruitful work and family warmth.
The government amended a previous decision, invalidating another one in a bid to harmonize Armenia’s technical streamlining procedures with the EU directives. To this end, the public catering service was removed from the list of those activities subject to mandatory licensing.
The Prime Minister instructed to get the amendment through to mass media so that any businessman might be aware of the lifting of border-checkpoint certification requirement. “This is an important improvement for the home exporters and importers and, as a matter of fact, this is the startup of the regulatory guillotine,” the Premier noted.
The government went on to approve a State support program for cost-effective procurements of nitrous fertilizers under which the Ministry of Agriculture will provide AMD 1bn to domestic suppliers for the purchase and distribution at the projected price of 25 tons of ammonia saltpeter in the provinces by April 10, 2012.
In this connection, the Prime Minister said that the spring sowing campaign is launched thereby, ensuring timely procurement of fertilizers and, as a result, greater efficiency in farming activities. “The problem is highlighted considering that today we have a 14% growth in agriculture, and we mean to keep up this trend in 2012.”
The government tackled the issue of extending welfare assistance to former Artsvashen residents had been raised in parliament.
According to Prime Minister Sargsyan, the former Artsvashen residents had been seeking for an individual approach: “The decision is specific in that it deviates from the common procedure. As requested by the residents of Artsvashen, we agreed to comply with a written statement signed by 708 families about the application of any such funding scheme as might be proposed by the recipients themselves. All signatures the needed signatures are in and the government will provide 708 million drams to that end. Thus, the Artsvashen residents believe that the State has honored its commitments. We in turn hold them in deep respect for cohesion and solidarity.”
The meeting decided to provide the Armenian Chess federation with an amount equivalent of euro 75 thousand in preparation of the June, 2012 FIDE women’s Grand Prix tournament in Jermuk.
Considering the exceptional artistic endowment and outstanding achievements of ballet dancer Arman Grigoryan, the government exempted him from the mandatory military service.
To observe the forthcoming national days of remembrance, the meeting decided that the working Mondays of April 9, July 16, August 13 and September 17, 2012 should be substituted with the Saturdays of April 14, July 21, August 18 and September 29 respectively.
