Tweet
Thousands of Protesters Give Government Deadline to Meet Demands or
Strike After February 1st (VIDEO)
01.29.2015 18:06 epress.am
Today, the Government's Reception of Citizens and Appeals department
head Alexander Ghazaryan spoke to hundreds of business owners and
entrepreneurs protesting the Law on Turnover Tax in front of the
Government building. Ghazaryan recalled that during the protest on
Monday the Prime Minister proposed to meet with a ten person
delegation, subsequently, however, refused by protesters. Now,
Ghazaryan claims that Hovik Abrahamyan has scheduled meetings, visits,
and his work schedule does not allow him to meet with the protesters.
The latter statement angered the demonstrators. One of the
entrepreneurs said that they also give money at the trade fairs and
marketplaces and they are also paying for leaving work but they have
come to protest instead.
One of the demonstrators called on the business owners to stop stating
that they would leave the country if the law were to pass, because all
small and medium sized businesses have debts to cover and that they
would not leave them without covering them. According to him, the
entrepreneurs would be forced to sell their apartments in order to
cover their debt and leave Armenia "naked."
According to rumors spreading among the protesters, like two days
before, buses from Gyumri to Yerevan were suspended in order to stop
businessmen from participating in the protest. According to one of the
demonstrators, some have come with their personal cars, while one bus
was able to arrive by taking a different route avoiding police at the
city's entrance.
The protesters, after being denied access to the PM, decided to move
toward the Presidential Palace. Almost 3 thousand small and medium
business owners closed Baghramyan Avenue stopping traffic from going
through.
The protesters blocked off Baghramyan Avenue for around 40 minutes.
They gave the government a deadline of Friday (tomorrow) 11 AM to meet
their demand of nullifying the Law on Turnover Tax or not.
The protesters will go to the Government building tomorrow to receive
their response from the government. The other decision made by the
business owners was that in case of the government not nullifying the
law, the business owners would begin a strike, closing their business
activities and not legally pay their taxes, starting February 1st.
When the protesters arrived at the Presidential Palace from the
Government building to express their demands, they were confronted
with accusations from police and officials, who according to one
demonstrator said that "You are coming here to the President's office
and politicizing a tax issue. We responded saying that weren't
politicizing it. If the Prime Minister accepts and listens to us, then
we won't come to the President."
The entrepreneurs gathered near Baghramyan 26 (Presidential Palace)
spoke about the police's role of getting protesters off the street and
onto the sidewalk.
"If the police weren't so much in number, we would have fit here just
fine," said one of the demonstrators.
The entrepreneurs restarted their fast growing protests from last
September-October, which were halted after the government promised to
delay the compulsory inventorization of products until February 1st of
2015. The protest restarted yesterday, because the government refused
to include other amendments to the law.
Last year, the protesters against the Law on Turnover Tax stated that
they do not have possibility of inventorizing their products, because
large distributors often do not give them invoices. In addition, in
the case of inventorizing, their turnover would be over the legal
minimum threshold of 58.3 million AMD ($126,000), so they would be
forced to pay VAT, which would be impossible for small and medium
sized businesses. Among the business owners, some demand that they
sharply increase the threshold, while others demand the law be
nullified.
Those who work in the gold trade have stressed that once the new law
comes into effect they would be forced to immediately halt their work.
Certain experts have noted that the inclusion of the Law on Turnover
Tax would entirely wipe out small and medium sized businesses, while
the members of government claim that the purpose is to fight against
the illegal practices in large businesses and that they are not
prepared to consider the law void.
During last year's protest, the merchants received backlash from the
owners of large marketplaces they rent space from. A few large
marketplaces threatened to fire (or cancel rent contracts) those
merchants who did not show up to work and protested. The most covered
case was that of Vosku Shuka owner Vagharsh Abrahamyan who broke
tables and showcases of those merchants who participated in the
protests. the destructive behavior of Abrahamyan was not dealt with by
the police.
http://www.epress.am/en/2015/01/29/261989.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NsppIfnSQ4
Strike After February 1st (VIDEO)
01.29.2015 18:06 epress.am
Today, the Government's Reception of Citizens and Appeals department
head Alexander Ghazaryan spoke to hundreds of business owners and
entrepreneurs protesting the Law on Turnover Tax in front of the
Government building. Ghazaryan recalled that during the protest on
Monday the Prime Minister proposed to meet with a ten person
delegation, subsequently, however, refused by protesters. Now,
Ghazaryan claims that Hovik Abrahamyan has scheduled meetings, visits,
and his work schedule does not allow him to meet with the protesters.
The latter statement angered the demonstrators. One of the
entrepreneurs said that they also give money at the trade fairs and
marketplaces and they are also paying for leaving work but they have
come to protest instead.
One of the demonstrators called on the business owners to stop stating
that they would leave the country if the law were to pass, because all
small and medium sized businesses have debts to cover and that they
would not leave them without covering them. According to him, the
entrepreneurs would be forced to sell their apartments in order to
cover their debt and leave Armenia "naked."
According to rumors spreading among the protesters, like two days
before, buses from Gyumri to Yerevan were suspended in order to stop
businessmen from participating in the protest. According to one of the
demonstrators, some have come with their personal cars, while one bus
was able to arrive by taking a different route avoiding police at the
city's entrance.
The protesters, after being denied access to the PM, decided to move
toward the Presidential Palace. Almost 3 thousand small and medium
business owners closed Baghramyan Avenue stopping traffic from going
through.
The protesters blocked off Baghramyan Avenue for around 40 minutes.
They gave the government a deadline of Friday (tomorrow) 11 AM to meet
their demand of nullifying the Law on Turnover Tax or not.
The protesters will go to the Government building tomorrow to receive
their response from the government. The other decision made by the
business owners was that in case of the government not nullifying the
law, the business owners would begin a strike, closing their business
activities and not legally pay their taxes, starting February 1st.
When the protesters arrived at the Presidential Palace from the
Government building to express their demands, they were confronted
with accusations from police and officials, who according to one
demonstrator said that "You are coming here to the President's office
and politicizing a tax issue. We responded saying that weren't
politicizing it. If the Prime Minister accepts and listens to us, then
we won't come to the President."
The entrepreneurs gathered near Baghramyan 26 (Presidential Palace)
spoke about the police's role of getting protesters off the street and
onto the sidewalk.
"If the police weren't so much in number, we would have fit here just
fine," said one of the demonstrators.
The entrepreneurs restarted their fast growing protests from last
September-October, which were halted after the government promised to
delay the compulsory inventorization of products until February 1st of
2015. The protest restarted yesterday, because the government refused
to include other amendments to the law.
Last year, the protesters against the Law on Turnover Tax stated that
they do not have possibility of inventorizing their products, because
large distributors often do not give them invoices. In addition, in
the case of inventorizing, their turnover would be over the legal
minimum threshold of 58.3 million AMD ($126,000), so they would be
forced to pay VAT, which would be impossible for small and medium
sized businesses. Among the business owners, some demand that they
sharply increase the threshold, while others demand the law be
nullified.
Those who work in the gold trade have stressed that once the new law
comes into effect they would be forced to immediately halt their work.
Certain experts have noted that the inclusion of the Law on Turnover
Tax would entirely wipe out small and medium sized businesses, while
the members of government claim that the purpose is to fight against
the illegal practices in large businesses and that they are not
prepared to consider the law void.
During last year's protest, the merchants received backlash from the
owners of large marketplaces they rent space from. A few large
marketplaces threatened to fire (or cancel rent contracts) those
merchants who did not show up to work and protested. The most covered
case was that of Vosku Shuka owner Vagharsh Abrahamyan who broke
tables and showcases of those merchants who participated in the
protests. the destructive behavior of Abrahamyan was not dealt with by
the police.
http://www.epress.am/en/2015/01/29/261989.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NsppIfnSQ4