Business representatives: At the moment, the termination of the GSP +  regime has not led to significant consequences for the textile  industry in Armenia

ArmInfo.At the moment, the termination of the GSP+ trade preference regime has not led to significant consequences for the textile industry in Armenia.   Representatives of the textile enterprises of the Lori region  , and made a similar statement at the  meeting with Deputy Minister of Economy of Armenia Rafael Gevorgyan,.

After getting acquainted with the production processes at the  enterprises, the Deputy Minister welcomed the work carried out in the  light industry and noted that the Armenian government is interested  in promoting the industry, taking into account its growth potential.

As a result of the visit, among the chalanges that the sector faces,  the need to train specialists in the textile industry was noted.  According to the Ministry of Economy, training in secondary  vocational schools, as well as short courses where women without age  restrictions can acquire the appropriate skills to work in textile  enterprises can help to solve this issue.

The source noted that today the "Gulpa" company employs 2,887 people,  "Sarton" provides 350 jobs, "Tashir-kar" fulfills orders from abroad.

It should be noted that in January 2022, the Ministry of Economy,  with the financing of the "Good Governance Fund" of the Government of  the United Kingdom, with the support of the EBRD and the coordination  of the Business Assistance Office, launched the Armenian textile  industry assistance program.  The program is aimed at developing a  sustainable and inclusive textile industry in Armenia, which is the  main of the strategic priorities of the country's economy.

According to the source, within the framework of the program,  proposals will be developed on the possibilities of increasing the  value added of textile products produced in Armenia in order to  increase its competitiveness, taking into account the fact that this  category of products is no longer covered by the GSP + regime.

From January 1, 2022, Armenian exporters will no longer be able to  use the European Union's GSP + trade preferences regime. The EU  Preferential Regime (GSP+) is a system of customs preferences that  allows low- and lower-middle income countries to export more than  6,200 items to the EU market at zero or reduced customs duties.  According to experts, as a result of exclusion from the GSP+ system  of trade preferences, Armenia will lose 20% of its exports to the EU  this year, or about $114 million. According to the Statistical  Committee, the production volume of the textile industry in Armenia  in 2021 increased 2.1- fold, providing production volumes in the  amount of 1.9 billion drams (over $3.7 million). A year earlier, the  segment registered a rather serious decline of 31.6%.