President visited branches of the RA State Revenue Committee, met with the leadership of the SRC

Today, President Serzh Sargsyan visited a number of branches of the RA State Revenue Committee. In particular, the President of Armenia visited the training center of the customs service which is functioning on the premise of the Ararat regional customs administration, and familiarized with the works of the center and SRC Training Center state structure. It was noted that actually the Center started to function in June 2012 with the purpose of retraining cadre working in the tax and customs systems, upgrading their professional skills, providing special training and preparation of the information and analytical materials. The President toured the specialized classrooms, observed working conditions of the Center, learned about the teaching programs and results of the practical lessons. Here, President Sargsyan was also demonstrated the new uniform of the customs officials.

From the customs training facility, Serzh Sargsyan arrived to the Arabkir territorial branch of the RA State Revenue Committee. During the tour of the premise, President Sargsyan was informed on the services and was demonstrated the new mechanism of the electronic mode of filing tax reports. The President familiarized also with the accounting and reporting of the tax liabilities and the entire process of switching the tax reporting from the paperwork to the electronic system of accounting.

The President concluded his tour at the training center of the Kanaker-Zeitun branch of the RA SRC. After familiarizing with the condition there, he conducted a working meeting with the leadership of the State Revenue Committee. At the meeting, the Chairman of the RA STC Gagik Khatchatrian presented to Serzh Sargsyan priorities of 2013 and main directions that will continue to remain in the center of the STC attention this year. The President was also reported on the results of the structure’s work in 2012 and implemented reforms.

At the conclusion of the meeting, President Sargsyan shared his impressions of the works conducted by the SRC since he gave instructions at the previous meeting with the leadership of the Committee and wide-scale reforms implemented in the system. For their efficient performance, a number of the RA State Revenue Committee employees received awards from the President of Armenia.

“First, I would like to note that I have been pleased to observe first hand progress made by the SRC and of course to participate at this meeting and together with you to recap the results of 2012 and preset the targets that we will implement in 2013. I would like to tell right away that in my opinion that overall the STC has accomplished tasks set before it in 2012. This is not about tax collection only, though it is naturally very important. We all remember how a lot of people were telling that it would be impossible to increase revenues in one year by 101 billion drams. But, thanks God this time too, predictions of those who were forecasting collapse didn’t come true and you were able to meet the goal. In addition, reforms were implemented, many of which we learned about and familiarized with. I believe there are two most objective assessments for these reforms: first, it is the World Bank Doing Business index. On that index list, thanks to your and not only your work, our country has registered great progress; today we occupy the 32nd position. It’s a pretty modest but still a good indicator. And second, in this period of time something has changed in the attitude of the tax payers,” President Sargsyan said at the meeting with the leadership of the State Revenue Committee.

The President of Armenia stressed also positive trends in once not so benign attitude of the tax payers towards the officials of the STC formed many years ago and their cooperation. “It is a very important indicator. I should tell that the impact of this process on the atmosphere in our country in general, the moral atmosphere, is significant. For 2013, I must say that in my opinion the tax collection process will not be the same as it was in 2012, however it doesn’t mean that tax collection in 2012 was an easy one,” President Serzh Sargsyan said.

Speaking about works to be carried out by the STC in 2013, the President of Armenia underscored that strain will be mostly noticeable in the activities of the structure employees and in the implementation of the programs which have been introduced today. “Frankly speaking, I am greatly satisfied with the works that have been done until now. It doesn’t mean that you can slow down in your work; I am telling this so that the others follow suit. I would really be very happy if our state structure were able to accomplish at least 80 percent of what you’ve done, I mean placing all these processes on the contemporary basis. It’s a very important issue, very. It is about our country’s future, our economy’s future. It’s about our prestige,” President Sargsyan underscored.

The President of Armenia stressed the importance of maintaining the pace of the initiated reforms and the necessity to augment the structure with the well-organized, ready to put their knowledge to the advancement of the country, exemplary state employees.

Serzh Sargsyan also underlined that if today he doesn’t want to speak about the problems and deficiencies existing in the structure, it doesn’t mean that there are none. However, according to the President, if the self-cleansing of the structure is observable, if the desire to perform better is observable and there is advancement on that issue which matches the set tasks, all that should be appreciated. Serzh Sargsyan wished every success to the employees of the SRC in the implementation of the preset programs.