Clarification from the State Revenue Committee Regarding the Publication Titled ‘The Habits of the Republican Party in the SRC’

In response to the publication titled ‘The Habits of the Republican Party in the SRC’ dated June 9, 2020, in the newspaper ‘Zhamanak’, we find it necessary to clarify that the information published regarding the SRC allegedly renting apartment No. 31 of building No. 35 on K’erru Street in Yerevan for its needs through a single-source procurement procedure for 171,819,530 AMD does not correspond to reality.

1. According to point 4 of Article 23 of the ‘Procedure for Organizing Procurement Processes’ established by the Government of the Republic of Armenia's decision No. 526-N dated May 4, 2017, real estate leasing presumes procurement from a single source. Therefore, the SRC conducted this procurement through a single-source process. The Ararat Customs Office and the customs service have merged at one location, ensuring the efficient organization of work. The leased space is located immediately adjacent to the Ararat Customs Office.

2. The leased area at 10/16 Ts. Isakov Avenue in Yerevan, with an area of 1836.38 square meters, has four co-owners: Bernd Wildenmann, Andrea Petra Wildenmann, Aram Grigory Stepanian, and David Alberti Isahakyan. Aram Grigory Stepanian, who is actually the husband of Vache Terteryan's daughter, the Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures, is merely one of the four co-owners and acts in the contract as a co-owner and as the authorized person of the two co-owners: Bernd Wildenmann and Andrea Petra Wildenmann.

3. The address mentioned in the publication, apartment No. 31 of building No. 35 on K’erru Street in Yerevan, is the registered address of Aram Stepanian and has no relation to the area rented by the SRC. It has been recorded in the contract merely as the registered address of the co-owner and authorized person. Incidentally, the mentioned registered address is located in a completely different administrative district of Yerevan, namely Arabkir, whereas the area rented by the SRC is located in the Central administrative district of Yerevan.

4. Regarding the mentioned sum of 171,819,530 AMD: This amount includes the rent of the leased area on Isakov Avenue for the months from January to December 2020, as well as for the period from August 13, 2019, to December 2019 (approximately 17 months). The area leased by the SRC at 10/16 Ts. Isakov Avenue, totaling 1836.38 square meters, is rented until December 31, 2025. The monthly payment for the property is 10,340,000 AMD, including taxes and other mandatory payments.

– Press and Public Relations Division of the RA SRC