YEREVAN, MAY 29, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenian businessmen should remember that the state is on their side, the president Serge Sargsian stated at the May 29 meeting with those engaged in big business in Armenia. In his words, it should be kept in mind that the interest of the state and the private sector coincides, and this interest is the rapidly developing business. The primary task of the state and businessmen is to strengthen their mutual trust, but it does not mean that businessmen will not experience dipleasure when meeting a tax inspector. "There is a problem of changing our attitude," S. Sargsian said. He explained that every state servant who has contacts with businessmen should know that his duty is to provide services, while the businessman in his turn should treat the tax service as a body engaged in its natural work rather than one that checks or causes damage. The president underlined that all businessmen "must work in the taxation field". In his words, today there are numerous cases of deceiving the state and such cases must be ruled out. S. Sargsian added that the prosector's office, police and the National Security Service should not be concerned about cases of tax evasion by small companies if these cases are not regular. The prime minister Tigran Sargsian was also present at the meeting. He reminded that the government has developed a program of complex measures for improvement of the tax policy. The program consists of 7 main points. The first is related to correct and timely taxation of big business, the second - to "soft" tax policy with respect to small businessmen, and the third is related to overcoming corrution in the tax service. The fourth point states that personal contacts of the businessman and the state body must be excluded. The fifth point is about tax checks, the sixth is related to the creation of centers that help businessman to prepare their tax documents. The seventh point of the program envisages compiling lists of tax evaders and making their names public.

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