ArmInfo. Armenian authorities are proposing an amnesty for individual taxi drivers who, between 2015 and 2019, were required to obtain a license and pay the corresponding state fee, but failed to do so. During its September 24 session, the RA National Assembly Committee on Economic Affairs approved the amendments to the relevant law submitted by the RA government.
As Armen Simonyan, Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, noted in his speech, these amendments apply to drivers who provided passenger transportation services using their personal vehicles and were required to obtain licenses under the previous Law "On State Duty." Although the provisions of the law have since been repealed, the licensing of the activity itself continues, leading many drivers to accrue significant debts to the state over the years. During this period, nearly 11,000 people were granted licenses, with over 5,000 failing to pay their fees. The total debt exceeded 1.3 billion drams, including 927 million drams in principal debt and 415 million drams in fines and penalties.
Meanwhile, a new regulation for taxi drivers has been in effect in Armenia since September 1, 2024, requiring registration and tax reporting through electronic platforms. According to official statistics, over 90% of all taxi orders in the country are now processed through digital apps. From September 2024 to the end of 2025 alone, drivers connected to these platforms contributed 330 million drams in state fees to the budget. In fact, almost all drivers-including those working off-platform-return to them periodically for orders. This ensures coverage of almost the entire sector and makes paying the toll virtually inevitable. Authorities note that with the transition to a digital payment model, the toll's share of the price of each ride will reach 5% by 2026.
Taking these changes into account, the government has decided to write off accumulated license debt, emphasizing that these amounts were not included in the expected state budget revenues. In doing so, the authorities are seeking to close the door on outdated regulation of the industry and move toward a more "transparent and modern model."
