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ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH TO GET CERTAIN TAX PRIVILEGES
arminfo
Tuesday, October 25, 17:42
Parliament of Armenia passed the first reading of alterations and
amendments to a package of laws to regulate the property problems of
the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC), Tuesday.
Vache Terteryan, Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration of
Armenia, says the Government suggests exempting the churches of the
AAC that are not considered cultural monuments from the property tax.
For that purpose, the Government offers amendments to the Laws On
property Tax, On Land Tax and the Land Code. The list of the facilities
subject to tax privileges is determined by the government.
A total of 256 buildings, lands, churches, dining halls, libraries,
tractor station and others are transferred to the balance of the Mother
See of Holy Etchmiadzin. The given facilities are in the permanent
process of property inventory. AT the same time, the government
will regulate the process of fulfillment of tax privileges by the
AAC. "Production of candles for church service and production of
luxurious wedding churches for sale are quite different things,"
Terteryan said.
The bill aroused hot debates in the parliament. Thus, parliamentarian
Stepan Safaryan recalled that all the churches are equal before the
law and tax privileges must apply to all them. Artsvik Minasyan,
a parliamentarian from ARFD agreed with Safaryan and said that if
passed the bill will reduce the budgets of the local self-government
authorities that are formed at the expense of the land and property
taxes.
For his part, Hovik Abrahamyan suggested verifying the list of the
facilities transferred to AAC. "We have communities with some 2 mln
drams budget and reduction of such small budgets is inadmissible," the
speaker said. For his part, Vardan Bostanjyan, parliamentarian from
Prosperous Armenia party alarmed that there is no specific list of
facilities and lands, which may make the entire territory of Armenia
the property of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
arminfo
Tuesday, October 25, 17:42
Parliament of Armenia passed the first reading of alterations and
amendments to a package of laws to regulate the property problems of
the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC), Tuesday.
Vache Terteryan, Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration of
Armenia, says the Government suggests exempting the churches of the
AAC that are not considered cultural monuments from the property tax.
For that purpose, the Government offers amendments to the Laws On
property Tax, On Land Tax and the Land Code. The list of the facilities
subject to tax privileges is determined by the government.
A total of 256 buildings, lands, churches, dining halls, libraries,
tractor station and others are transferred to the balance of the Mother
See of Holy Etchmiadzin. The given facilities are in the permanent
process of property inventory. AT the same time, the government
will regulate the process of fulfillment of tax privileges by the
AAC. "Production of candles for church service and production of
luxurious wedding churches for sale are quite different things,"
Terteryan said.
The bill aroused hot debates in the parliament. Thus, parliamentarian
Stepan Safaryan recalled that all the churches are equal before the
law and tax privileges must apply to all them. Artsvik Minasyan,
a parliamentarian from ARFD agreed with Safaryan and said that if
passed the bill will reduce the budgets of the local self-government
authorities that are formed at the expense of the land and property
taxes.
For his part, Hovik Abrahamyan suggested verifying the list of the
facilities transferred to AAC. "We have communities with some 2 mln
drams budget and reduction of such small budgets is inadmissible," the
speaker said. For his part, Vardan Bostanjyan, parliamentarian from
Prosperous Armenia party alarmed that there is no specific list of
facilities and lands, which may make the entire territory of Armenia
the property of the Armenian Apostolic Church.