ArmInfo. In Armenia, the rate of state duty on exported ferrous scrap will be increased. At the May 2 sitting, the RA government approved the amendments to the law "On State Duty", which will be sent to the RA National Assembly in due course.
As Minister of Economic Development and Investments of the Republic of Armenia Tigran Khachatryan noted at the government meeting, there are about 30 enterprises in the production of ferrous metals in Armenia that employ over 1.200 people. Production volumes, the minister continued, are sufficient to meet all the needs of the country. The existing reserves of ferrous metal and scrap from it enough for 15-18 years. However, the export of ferrous metal scrap (annually 7-8 thousand tons) can lead to risks for domestic consumption. In this regard, the executive body proposes to introduce a state duty on exported ferrous metal scrap in the amount of 80 thousand drams per ton. However, David Ananyan, chairman of the State Revenue Committee of the Republic of Armenia, did not agree with such a measure, suggesting that the state duty be set at 200 thousand drams per ton.
In turn, head of the RA Urban Planning Committee, Vahagn Vermishyan, recalled that in the first post-Soviet years, metal, equipment, vehicles were taken out of control in Armenia, as a result of which fixed assets were lost. Meanwhile, according to Vahagn Vermishyan, for example, China actively bought them, modernized and put into operation new enterprises. The head of the Committee called for a ban on the export of black metal, as well as scrap from it.
Nevertheless, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the rate of 80 thousand drams, agreeing to return to the consideration of the issue in the process of implementing the provisions of the law. As Tigran Khachatryan noted, the proposed changes will enable domestic industrial enterprises to use on-site ferrous scrap as raw materials to ensure a competitive price in the production of the final product.