YEREVAN, JANUARY 21, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA ministry of finance granted 78 licences by simple procedure in 2008, including 4 licences for apple and fruit wine making; 1 veterinary licence; 28 licences for customs intermediary activity; 20 licences for production, import or trade in pyrotechnic products; 5 licences for production of distilled alcoholic drinks (except for liqueurs under 220870 cipher of the classifier "The nominal list of commodities of external economic activity" and other alcoholic drinks under cipher 220890 that contain up to 9% spirits) and production of ethyl spirit from fermentation substances; 7 licences for production of alcoholic drinks under cipher 2208 of the classifier "The nominal list of commodities of external economic activity" that are made of only fruit and berries (except grapes) and contain 40% and over spirits; and 6 licences for trade, import, export and transporation of cut or rough, but not set, natural diamonds under the ciphers 710210000, 710221000, 710231000 of the classifier "The nominal list of commodities of extetnal economic activity". The commission giving conclusions for suspension or cancelation of licences granted by simple procedure held 24 sittings last year, during which 40 licences were recognized as invalid. State duties of 643,193,130 drams (about 2 mln 75 thousand USD) were collected from the sector in 2008. As NT was informed by the press service of the RA ministry of finance and economy, 5,407 licences by simple procedure were granted by January 1, 2009.

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