That tax, I'm not taking it home, am I? - Pashinyan

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated today, August 31, during a press conference at the Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concert Complex, that he had previously promised taxi drivers better working conditions, which have been provided.

“We have ensured those good conditions. There was a licensing fee for individual taxi drivers, which we abolished at the time. No one has ever said that the money paid for a taxi should not be taxed,” he noted.

Pashinyan emphasized the importance of enhancing standards and tax mechanisms in parallel with economic development. “That tax, I'm not taking it home, am I? Or no one is taking it home. The fight against corruption also costs money. We have created institutions that need to be funded,” he added.

According to him, since 2019, Armenia has transitioned to a flat income tax system, and there is no reason to change this system. “Regarding the tax legislation in general, we should always think about it, as it is one of the most crucial institutions of the state. There are needs that concern all strata of society. The country has a need for roads, communications, and water. The state addresses all these needs to the extent that we can generate money in the budget. While there is no shortfall in the budget, there is never too much money. There are so many needs in our country. The budget revenues have increased since 2018 and continue to grow, but the needs are objectively so great that we need more money,” Pashinyan explained.

“There is a huge shadow economy in our country, and the leading cover for that shadow is the turnover tax. We cannot ignore this, and when we establish tax exemptions for social considerations, we later see that in many cases they are used to increase shadow activities,” he highlighted.