5 Steps to Strong Armenia: Samvel Karapetyan`s economic program  presented in Yerevan

ArmInfo.The economic roadmap for the newly registered "Strong Armenia" party, founded by Russian-Armenian businessman and President of Tashir Group Samvel Karapetyan, has been officially presented. The program centers on five strategic priorities designed to anchor the party's economic  platform.

During an event held on January 20, Narek Karapetyan, Vice President  of Tashir Group and coordinator of the "In Our Way"  movement,  outlined the core objectives: job creation in regional provinces, tax  exemptions for small businesses, reducing the cost of medicine,  housing support for young and large families, and agricultural  development.

The program is designed for implementation over a five-year period,  with significant changes expected to be felt by the second year.  The  first priority is the creation of 300,000 jobs in Armenia's  provinces. Karapetyan highlighted that the lack of local employment  is the primary driver of rural depopulation and poverty. He noted  that previous state subsidies failed to prevent a decline in regional  manufacturing, while Yerevan's credit-driven growth is unsustainable  in the long term.

To address this, the party proposes a policy of rapid  industrialization. New manufacturing plants will be established  through partnerships with the China Export Company, which is prepared  to finance 70% of projects if equipment is sourced from China. The  remaining 30% would be split equally between the state and private  investors (15% each). Karapetyan emphasized that the state would  effectively recover its 15% investment through tax revenue, resulting  in a net cost of only 2% to the treasury. Specific development plans  have been drafted for every city in Armenia.

The second pillar of the program is the total tax exemption of small  businesses. Currently, Armenia has 69,000 small business entities  contributing only 2-3% of total tax revenue.  "We must exempt small  businesses from taxes to allow them to grow," Karapetyan stated,  noting that 3,000 small companies closed last year following the  increase of the turnover tax from 5% to 10%. He argued that while  administrative oversight is needed to prevent medium-sized businesses  from splitting into smaller ones to avoid taxes, there is no  fundamental fiscal necessity to tax the small business sector. Under  this proposed policy, the party estimates that up to 3,000 new small  businesses could open annually.  Jobs will be created through a  focused policy of industrialization and re-industrialization across  the country's regions. Specifically, industrial enterprises will be  established in collaboration with a Chinese export company. This  partner is prepared to finance 70% of project costs, provided that  the production equipment is purchased from China. The remaining  funding will be split equally between the state (15%) and private  investors (15%).

Narek Karapetyan noted that while the state invests 15%, it  effectively recovers 100% of that investment.  Furthermore, funds  invested in industry return to the state at a rate of 12-13% in the  form of taxes.  Consequently, the net state expenditure on project  implementation averages only 2%. Development programs have already  been formulated for every city in Armenia.

Tax Relief for Small Business The program proposes exempting small  businesses from taxes to stimulate growth. Currently, Armenia has  69,000 small business entities that contribute only 2-3% of total tax  revenue. Last year alone, 3,000 small companies closed following an  increase in the turnover tax from 5% to 10%. The party argues that  with proper administration to prevent medium-sized businesses from  artificially splitting to avoid taxes, there is no fiscal necessity  to tax small enterprises. This policy is expected to lead to the  opening of 3,000 new small businesses annually

.  Affordable Medicine and Pharmaceutical Reform Samvel Karapetyan  intends to apply the Georgian model to the pharmaceutical industry,  specifically transitioning to an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)  system. This shift is designed to reduce production costs, optimize  procurement, and lower operating expenses. The goal is a 20%  reduction in the price of medication in Armenia.

Agricultural Support Centers A vital component of the five-year plan  is the establishment of agricultural collection stations in the  provinces. These stations will serve as intermediaries between  farmers and commercial buyers. At the beginning of each year, the  stations will facilitate contracts for crop sales and ensure farmers  are provided with necessary fertilizers. This initiative aims to  solve logistics and sales challenges for rural producers.

Housing for Young and Large Families To bridge the gap between local  wages and high real estate prices, the "Strong Armenia" party  proposes an investment partnership with construction firms. Under  this scheme, the state provides land and utility infrastructure  (electricity, water, gas) free of charge. In return, developers must  offer housing to young or large families at an affordable,  state-mandated price. Alternatively, developers can "pay" for the  state assistance by providing a portion of the completed apartments  to the government for low-cost distribution to beneficiaries.

"The difference between Samvel Karapetyan's proposals and Nikol  pashinyan is that Samvel Karapetyan does what he says," he concluded.