YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 10, NOYAN TAPAN. According to a study of 30 economic entities conducted by Ameria consulting company, they direct up to 1% of their annual incomes to the social investment (SI) sector. Representative of Ameria Davit Karapetian stated this during a round table "Corporate Social Investments" held by Eurasia Foundation on November 10. According to D. Karapetian, experts of Ameria conducted interviews with 30 businessmen, 70% of whose companies operate in Yerevan. 46% of them represent big enterprises, the rest - medium ones. 37% of businessmen surveyed represent the production sphere, 33% - services, the rest - trade and mixed activity. The survey included companies of food processing, precise engineering, IT and elctronics, banking and publishing sectors, recreational activity, tourism, mining industry, construction, infrastructure servicing, trade and export, as well as representatives of industrial and trade groups. According to the study results, 44% of surveyed businessmen make social investments in Yerevan. Most of social investments is made in science, culture, health and education, including within companies. Most of SI in Armenia is made in the form of humanitarian, charity, private sponsorship or one-off aid. Most of those surveyed are interested in making most coordinated social investments. As for motives for making SI, most of those surveyed said that the first motive is "to get contents". "Moral responsibility and patriotism" were also mentioned as motives. Many of businessmen surveyed noted that they do not extend SI due to not receiving long-term positive changes after making such investments. According to a study of Ameria, 23% of those surveyed neglected and even ignored the role of social organizations when coordinating social investments of business. According to 22% of them, the main role of international organizations is direct financial participation in SI, in the opinion of 11% - implementation of special SI programs with the state, and according to 17% - technical assistance. Those surveyed considered the support and coordination of SI together with the private sector and NGOs as the most important function of the state in the SI sector. Only 14% of those surveyed noted the absence of financial resources as the main obstacle to making social investments. 50% of them takes the view that it is necessary to make amendments in the tax legislation for extension of social invsetment and improve the policy conducted in the SI sector. Over one third noted that the improved mechanisms of providing information on IS and their benefits may increase the number of businessmen included in SI.

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