The "Fact" daily writes:
The field of information and communication technologies is one of the main driving forces of the global economy of the 21st century.
The development of this field not only provides economic growth, but also increases the country's competitiveness, improves the quality of life and creates new opportunities in various fields.
At the same time, it allows you to increase the country's defense capabilities, increase the efficiency of education and management and contribute to international competitiveness. And the states that make great investments in this area have greater prospects for economic development and more stable political and social systems.
For example, Estonia and Israel have successfully developed the IT sector, making it one of the main columns of the economy.
The IT sector has also been declared one of the priorities of the economy in Armenia. However, the proclamations, toast desires and statements are different, and the real development of this field is different.
For example, Pashinyan stated in his tenure that the development of the IT sector is a priority for his government and the Republic of Armenia.
Moreover, on April 22, 2019, during a meeting with students and faculty of YSU Faculty of Economics and Management, he even made such a statement. "In the next ten years, 10-20 large enterprises in the country must be technology, unlike today, when large taxpayers are in the field of natural or non-natural monopoly or mining."
It is true that this announcement has not been passed for 10 years, but it has been 6 years old, and there must be some recent trends in the list of IT companies in the list of IT companies.
However, we have the complete opposite image. Let's first analyze what structure is the list of large taxpayers of 2024. And in order not to distinguish very much in the list of 1000 largest taxpayers, let's consider three dozen taxpayers. If we do not consider telecommunications companies in Armenia, the number of net technology companies does not pass in the list of the first 30 major taxpayers.
Such a picture shows that the policy of the authorities in the field of IT is completely failed. And the government's programs are not mainly aimed at ensuring development and promoting innovations. In many cases, they are not only targeted, but they are not effective.
For example, after receiving great support to the budget, some companies simply stopped their activities. In other words, there is no accountability, if we do not give harder assessments.
In addition, a favorable environment is not created in terms of attracting investments and developing, and special stimulants do not work. That's why even Armenian businessmen and representatives of the technology are preferred to register their innovative companies and startups in the United States, Hong Kong and elsewhere than in Armenia.
On the other hand, the IT companies in Armenia mainly serve foreign companies, and in that case the final technological products can be found in Armenian, as it increases the result in other countries.
And since the current situation in the IT sphere depends on the foreign market, the dram's appreciation for the dollar is also the result of the profit of the Armenian IT companies.
As a result, the taxes paid by them are also decreased. The next 5 years probes that the share of technology companies will increase in the list of large taxpayers. Even professionals emphasize that the situation in the field is more complicated.
L Aviv, if the IT sector has no major role in the budget, what spheres does the budget make?
Naturally, first of all mining. It is no coincidence that the first large taxpayer Zangezur Copper and Molybdenum Combine has been providing enormous tax entry every year and is out of this point of view.
Moreover, the plant has become the spine of the Armenian economy for years in the real sense of the word. If we remove the mining, the largest share in the list of the first 30 taxpayers is importers, including the importers of technological products.
Moreover, two of them, "Mobile Armenia" and "Pritt Way" are in the top five. This indicates itself to depend on the negative balance of Armenia's economy and imports. The import-related taxes can be fluctuated in connection with developments in the world market.
Although Pashinyan noted that the monopolies in the field of imports should be eliminated, we see that these monopolies have remained identically.
In recent years, Armenia has played an important role in reconstruction, and further difficulties in organizing geopolitical processes can also affect the state budget.
The list of the first 30 taxpayers includes three cigarette companies: "Grant Tobacon", "GRANT TOBAKON", "INTERNATIONAL", MANAGEMENT PRODUCTION "Athens" is also a leader in Armenia's food production, and non-alcoholic beverages. Production leading "Coca Cola".
Here should be noted "Grand Candy", which has always been in the face, but in 2024. According to the data, it is in the 31st place.
Let's add that in the best thirty, four Armenian banks and three telecommunications companies, and the image will be complete.
In short, only when studying the list of major taxpayers, you can find an idea of the current state of the economy, but also about the prospects for at least a few years.
Arthur Karapetyan
