New local charges and fees to be applied in Armenia

ArmInfo. New kinds of fees and charges will be applied Armenia.  Corresponding amendments and modifications to the Law On Local Charges and Fees were passed in first reading by Armenian parliament at December 8 session.

Presenting the draft modifications, Vache Terteryan, the First Deputy Minister on Territorial Administration of Armenia, mentioned that currently 16 kinds of fees and 5 kinds of local charges are applied in Armenia. In the new version of Law this figures are suggested to be increased up to 18 and 19 respectively. As Terteryan mentioned, actually some of those fees have been charged by local self government entities de facto, and now it is suggested to give a legal shape to those.  Particularly, the matter is the water supply fees, if local authorities will be able to arrange it by own means.

In such case, about 500 rural communities will be able to get the new Law of own use. Beside that, it is offered to implement charges for local kinder garden attendance. The new Law sets also the right of municipalities to set payee parking. Besides, local authorities will be allowed  to arrange payee  market and entertainment sites. The charges and fees maximums are  to be revised as well.

Actually, local authorities do not use opportunities to decrease those charges and make their best to get from people as much financial resources as possible. There is a gate left  only for payee parking sites - with AMD 300 for one hour of parking and  AMD 100 000 as one year fee. The Deputy Minister considers necessary also to discuss the idea of local entities participation in taxi service arrangements. He mentioned that the latest protests of taxi owners and drivers should force local authorities to think the issue over.