YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 3, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA Ministry of Nature Protection completely implemented the envisaged programs in 2008. However, as the minister Aram Harutyunian stated in the annual report submitted to the prime minister Tigran Sargsyan on February 3, the implementation of some measures was delayed due to structural changes. By the ministry's report, in 2008 the total amount of nature protection and nature use payments made 4,741.7 mln drams (about 15.3 mln USD). Checks of 1,642 economic entities were conducted, with 1,535 violations being revealed. 208 acts on actual amounts of nature protection and nature use payments were submitted to tax bodies. The State Nature Protection Inspection sent 22 materials to the prosecutor's office, 189 suits to courts for examination. T. Sargsyan explained that in connection with structural changes made at the Ministry of Nature Protection, there was a necessity to clarify a number of measures on efficient use of natural resources with the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources. The prime minister said that the RA State Revenue Committee has some questions about nature protection and nature use payments, in particular about provision of information on conducted checks and measurements. In his words, the tax bodies should have an opportunity to calculate precisely the sums paid by economic entities. "Mines not shown on maps are often operated, that is, we grant licences for one area, whereas in reality mines are operated in other areas, which does not allow tax bodies to calculate precisely the revenues received," the prime minister noted, adding that this year the ministry will pay special attention to the operation of unregistered mines.

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