Armenia parliament OKs new tax legislationOctober 4, 2016 - 17:06 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The Armenian parliament adopted in the third reading on Tuesday, October 4 the proposed amendments to the Tax Code, submitted earlier by the executive, Tert.am reports. The bill overwhelmingly received the National Assembly’s approval, with 78 lawmakers voting for and 19 against the measure. None of the lawmakers attending the session abstained from voting. At the debate after the vote, Hrant Bagratyan of the opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC) argued over several provisions which he considered unconstitutional. He said the new legislation proposed charging taxes only from catholic churches functioning on the territory of Armenia (excluding those of the Armenian Apostolic Church). Mikael Melkumyan of the opposition Prosperous Armenia faction said the law signals threats of “retreat for small- and medium-sized businesses.” Khachatur Kokobelyan, a cross-bencher attending the hearing, proposed postponing the voting, citing “the increased tax burden for taxpayers.” Levon Zurabyan, the head of the ANC faction in parliament, complained that their experts had not been invited to earlier debates. The opposition MP claimed that 25 committee hearings had been held to consider the measure. Top stories The number of state universities will be reduced from 23 to 8 by 2030, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan has said. From September 21 to November 11, a total of 2,820 Russians registered at a place of residence in Armenia, the police has said. The situation on the contact line between Karabakh and Azerbaijan was relatively stable overnight, the Defense Army says. Defense Minister Suren Papikyan has visited the southern Armenian province of Syunik, the Defense Ministry reported on March 18. Partner news | Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Azerbaijan must respect human rights, Scholz tells Aliyev German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for greater respect for human rights in Azerbaijan. Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. Ucom equips four bus stops in Ijevan with free Wi-Fi Ucom now provides free Wi-Fi coverage in smart bus stops in four communities of Ijevan. |