ArmInfo. Transparent, reliable and predictable conditions in tax, customs and judicial systems and relative legislative framework should be created for attracting business, Prime Minister of Armenia Karen Karapetyan stated at the American University of Armenia (AUA) on January 20 answering to the question of students.
"Do we have ideal business environment at the moment? Of course, not! But we have a program. Moreover, we are going to establish a center of strategic initiatives in the upcoming days, many of the board members of which are representatives of private sector from the USA, Diaspora", he said. At the same time he noted that one of the main goals of the center will become changing business climate in the country. In Prime Minister's opinion there is no need to reinvent the wheel, it is simply necessary to create conditions needed for business development.
"Those countries, where businessmen, workers and creative thinkers feel comfortable are included in the list of happy countries rather than the states that have petroleum, gas or other natural resources. We will do everything to attract investors to our country", Karapetyan stressed and in this context he added that investment programs in various fields will be presented next week.
At the same time touching upon the issue of creating attractive conditions for foreign students in Armenian higher education institutions Karapetyan said that for this reason Armenia's educational system should be modern and popular. "This will happen if we manage to improve legislative and infrastructure frameworks so that a foreign citizen feels protected in Armenia", the Prime Minister said.
Answering to the students' question what programs are planned for 2017 the Prime Minister said that for him the 2017 will be the year of diagnostics, specification of mechanisms of the government, a stage of stabilization, as a result of which favorable fundamental conditions will be created to ensure regular sustainable growth starting from 2018.
Referring to fight against corruption Karapetyan emphasized the importance of changing the existing climate and necessity to carry out wide-scale activities. "Our actions envisage to maximally change the environment in order to reduce corruption risks. I am sure that it is impossible to reduce corruption by establishing another anti-corruption structure, if environment does not change", the Prime Minister noted. At the same time he added that 9% of decisions taken within 100 days of the new government's work related to corruption and 10% to improvement of business environment. He stressed that the work will be continued and corruption risks will be gradually reduced.
