Are the Relatives of Ktrich Nersisyan Driving a G-Class Mercedes, or Is It for Church Needs? Prime Minister

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has stated that clergymen, like all citizens, should pay income tax, as everyone is equal before the law. During a press briefing, the Prime Minister noted that there is no regulation exempting clergymen from the law.

He emphasized that for the past eight years, there has been a willingness to fully return taxes collected from the activities of the Armenian Apostolic Church, also to ensure financial transparency.

Pashinyan raised the question of why goods imported for the church, such as coffee, which have no purely ceremonial significance, should not be taxed. He also highlighted the importance of transparency in the revenue generated from candle sales.

“Why shouldn’t the followers of the Armenian Apostolic Church know, for example, how much revenue candle sales generate, and what happens to that money afterwards? Is it so that, for instance, the relatives of Ktrich Nersisyan can drive around in a G-Class Mercedes, or is it for the needs of the church?” said Nikol Pashinyan.