Video: Legal Street Commerce. Yerevan Council Establishes New Regulations

New regulations for street commerce will be implemented in the capital. The Yerevan Council has approved a draft decision that sets forth the requirements, conditions, types of goods sold, and allowable locations for street commerce. This was reported by the Yerevan Municipality.

"The Law on Trade and Services of the Republic of Armenia includes street commerce among the types of trade, but there has been no regulation for years. Until now, our citizens who engaged in this activity illegally and without legal status will be able to conduct entrepreneurial activities legally as per the established procedures," noted Hovik Safaryan, head of the Trade and Services Department of the Yerevan Municipality.

The opinions of the members of the Yerevan Council regarding the new draft varied; however, the majority voted in favor.

Specific locations have been designated for street commerce in areas that belong to the state and community in the administrative territories of Yerevan.

"We have consulted with the heads of the administrative divisions and received relevant conclusions regarding the implementation of street commerce in crowded areas and parks of Yerevan. If there are any proposals in the future, we will coordinate with the heads of those divisions and add new locations. Mainly, crowded places have been chosen," stated Armen Tovmasyan, the deputy head of the Trade and Services Department of the Yerevan Municipality.

The list of permissible goods has also been clarified according to the designated locations, which includes books, balloons, souvenirs, paintings, stationery, napkins, lottery tickets for gambling, and tickets for cultural events. "The sale of toys is prohibited under the regulations for street commerce, as we have seen how toys are sold under unsanitary conditions. Regarding toys, especially, we deal with children, and we cannot guarantee safety in street commerce situations. This law and these regulations also provide an opportunity to protect consumer interests so that they can understand from whom they are purchasing items, what products they are acquiring, and how they can protect their rights," highlighted Hovik Safaryan.

A stricter approach will be taken towards street commerce in the city’s cultural and tourism center. Specifically, in Republic and Liberty Squares, Northern Avenue, and the area adjacent to Lake Karapi, only books, souvenirs, paintings, and tickets for cultural events can be sold.

According to the decision, street commerce should be conducted exclusively hand-to-hand, without placing the sold goods on the ground. Ground pads and other items cannot be used for display, and the use of carts or other movable means is prohibited. The person conducting street commerce must also have the opportunity to provide legally established documents affirming the sale of the product to the buyer.

"We have simply recorded that it is necessary to provide a document confirming the fact of the sale to the buyer; this does not yet indicate that everyone is required to have cash register machines. Initially, a local tax payment of 500 drams per day is planned, which means 15,000 drams per month. However, the Council has the authority to apply rates and modify those rates—either reduce or increase them. Accordingly, we will see which social groups are involved in this trade and, if necessary, we will make changes to make it more convenient for our citizens," emphasized Hovik Safaryan.

The specified regulations for conducting street commerce will be enforced starting January 1, 2021.