Factor.am:writes:
On the 4th day of the 44-day war, when the government had to be secondary to security, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received a decision in which he created a new monopoly in the country. It's about stamping products. Stamping that is performed only in the EEU area. Stamping, the billions of the billions flow not to the state budget and become a way, a school or a kindergarten, but enrich individual people. Moreover, from now on this is an additional, "hidden tax" for businessmen.
Who is the beneficiary of this change, whose pockets will be poured from QR codes?Factor tvHe has investigated this "shadow of reform".
The state for the sake and against the private
At the Government of the Government of 2025, the chairman of the State Revenue Committee Eduard Hakobyan presented the EEU demand. "In 2018, Armenia, as well as other member states, have pledged to introduce a new system for stamping goods through identification, which has already existed in our daily lives."
The first phase of the program to pass QR codes (identification) from paper stamps in Armenia in 2024, including cigarette, alcoholic beverages, water. In February 2025, the government approved the list of products, dates and stamping rules of the products that were subject to QR code.
The requirement for stamping is only for EEU countries, while exporting other countries, Armenian businessmen do not have such an obligation. Tax-customs services of the EEU through stamping control the circulation of goods from production or imports to sale in the union. The consumer can also get acquainted with the product characteristics of the product and check it, it is false.
In 2024, 1 billion 357 million stamps were provided to businesses. The state paid 5 billion 130 million drams for them. Because more than 2025 products should be stamped, it means that more QR codes will be needed. Therefore, the amount of billions circulating will also multiply.
The problem is that before this, the state paid for stamps, and from now on businessmen will pay for QR codes. It turns out that the state will monitor the businessmen, that's why they have to pay the same businessmen.
It is strange that the government himself acquired them from the private sector to provide business stores to businesses, proclaiming the company "National Operator".
In other words, the order and prices are setting and monitoring the government, and the sale is carrying out and makes a profit that has a real monopoly.
When and how did the national operator be selected?
As we mentioned, this issue was so important for the authorities, on the 4th day of the 44-day war on September 30, 2020, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan took time and approved the composition of the commission to the National Operator. The chairman and deputies of the State Revenue Committee were included in it.
The national operator's choice competition was held on November 12, only three days after the signing of the infamous document of November 9, when there were widespread shocks in the country. At the same time, the requirements of the competition were originally defined in the fact that it would be difficult to find a participant in Armenia. For example, "The operator should have the development, implementation and service experience of e-government systems in the last 5 years, within the framework of at least 50 million drams. In case of consortium, at least one of the members must meet the requirement set forth in this paragraph. "
As a result, one participant has applied, which has become a national operator. In other words, in the hot area of war, the government has given a monopoly to a consortium, only one member of the Armenian and Perspective Technology Development Center, and the other two are Russian companies, "Centron Razvvitian".
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