Hrant Bagratyan: Why shouldn’t the Armenian Apostolic Church pay taxes?

At today’s NA extraordinary session Hrant Bagratyan, ANC faction MP, said if proposals by him are ignored, then the newly built Government is doomed to failure again. “I made an observation to point 191 and what was your reply?” he said to RA SRC Deputy Chairman Vakhtang Mirumyan.

“Appoint me head of department for a week and I’ll exactly give numbers. Mr. Mirumyan, you wrote a number, am I a child that you mislead me and ignore my word? By the indices we again will be back from neighboring Georgia. For instance, I can eliminate VAT on the border for 3 years, which I did in 1996. And those numbers were more ideal, than they’re now. I can’t join the voting,” Bagratyan said.

Former PM, together with other proposals, many of which, unfortunately have been refused, made an offer to tax the church as well.

“I’m asking you, how an individual entrepreneur can pay VAT, and you say pursuant the legislation. And this line continues…I say not only the citizen should pay a real estate tax, but also state offices, and you say the budget isn’t enough. Why shouldn’t the Armenian Apostolic Church pay taxes? Let’s not forget the history, which due to its economic reinforcement, we have lost our statehood twice. And you say it’s not so pursuant the law,” H.Bagratyan said.

By Armine Vardanyan