Sales Tax controversy: Watch live debate at 12.00 (video)
The Armenian Office of Institute War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) holds a debate on the controversial sales tax at 12.00, October 10. Guests at the studio will be Mikael Melkumyan, a lawmaker and member of the opposition Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), Stepan Aslanyan, Chairman of the Union of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Sedrak Asatryan, Chairman of the Concern-Dialog Law Firm, and Hayk Gevorgyan, an economic commentator working with Haykakan Zhamanak daily. The host is Babken Tunyan, an economic commentator with 168 Zham newspapers. Hundreds of traders have been protesting in Armenia for weeks against the sales tax that was enforced from October1, which they say, will ruin their businesses. The law envisages reduction of the tax from 3.5 to 1 percent, but at the same time adds an extra amount of paperwork.
