Vardan Harutyunyan: By results of 9 months we provided taxes as much as was necessary

ArmInfo. For 9 months of 2017,  the State Revenue Committee (ARC) of Armenia provided tax revenues of  860.5 billion drams, including VAT refunds. On the tax side, growth  was 6.7%, customs - 18.3%. This was stated to journalists by the head  of the department Vardan Harutyunyan on October 4, summing up the  results of the 9-month activity.

In general, as noted by Harutyunyan, the budgeted indicator on taxes  will be provided. "We are not lagging behind the planned indicators -  by results of 9 months we provided tax revenues in the amount  needed," he said. As a result, the growth of state budget revenues  for 9 months of this year. compared with the same period in 2016  amounted to more than 74 billion drams or 9.4%. 640.7 billion drams  were provided from the taxation, and 219.7 billion from the customs  authorities.

As the head of the department pointed out, that the growth of  revenues was provided due to the increase in the efficiency of tax  administration, in the conditions of reducing inspections. So, since  September 2016, the number of control measures carried out by tax  authorities has decreased by 47.8%. At the same time, as the head of  the KGD stated, due to the increase in the efficiency of tax  administration, as of October 1, 2017, tax overpayments decreased by  7.2 billion drams. The index of unpaid taxes and other mandatory  payments to the state budget of Armenia by the taxpayers for the  reporting period decreased by 6.5 billion drams.

The day before, from the rostrum of the Armenian parliament, its  vice-speaker from the Tsarukyan bloc said.> Mikayel Melkumian said  that in order to fulfill the budget of 2017 the Armenian government  by the end of the year, for the next 4 months, it should collect 424  bln drams in taxes, while statistics show that on average over the  past months of this year, about 90 billion drams were collected  monthly. According to him, today we can say that the government is  unlikely to be able to fulfill the budget of 2017. "In order to  implement the main financial document for 2017, the government under  the guise of" optimization "is going to seriously cut jobs in the  public sector, which in turn will lead to increased poverty and  emigration," the deputy said. According to him, the way out of this  situation is either to ensure real economic growth, or to reduce the  shadow, otherwise the country will face serious inflation, which has  already begun.

Meanwhile, on September 28, at a government meeting, referring to  media publications, according to which the Cabinet discusses the  probability of sequestering the state budget-2017, Armenian Minister  of Finance Vardan Aramyan stated: "I officially declare that there is  nothing like that." We have a very clear ideology that is fixed in  the the draft budget for 2017 and this course will continue also in  the budget for 2018. " The idea, as the minister explained, is to  exercise some restraint in planning current expenditures, placing  emphasis on capital expenditures, which promise to turn into a  multiplier effect in the country's economy.

It should be noted that the Budget-2017 provides nominal GDP growth  of 5% or 5405 bln drams. Total revenues, according to the budget of  this year, amount to 1 trillion. 210 billion drams (the ratio of  income to GDP - 22.4%), of which taxes - 1 trillion. 135 billion  drams. Expenses will amount to 1 trillion. 360 billion drams (the  ratio of expenditures to GDP is 25.2%), and the deficit is 150  billion drams (the deficit-to-GDP ratio is 2.8%).