The National Assembly four-day sittings of November 13 started with the discussion of the decision of the National Assembly on making addenda to the agenda of the session.

Upon the proposal of the author of the draft law, the MP Mr. Shavarsh Kocharyan, the issue of postponing the inclusion of the legislative initiative on making Amendment to the RA law on Scientific and Scientific-Technical Activity in the session agenda by 90 days was included in the group of draft laws being postponed by 30 days and adopted by voting.

The National Assembly by voting refused to post the package of draft laws on Making Amendments and Addenda to the RA law on Education, on Making Amendments and Addenda to the RA law on Higher and Post-graduate Professional Education by the MPs Mr. Hovhannes Margaryan, Mr. Mher Shahgeldyan and Mrs. Heghine Bisharyan on the agenda of the session.

The agenda of the four-day sittings of the National Assembly was discussed and adopted.

After finishing the discussion of the draft law on The Employers’ Unions that was interrupted during the previous four-day sittings, the MPs returned to the draft law on the 2007 State Budget of the Republic of Armenia.

The main reporter, Minister of Finance and Economy Mr. Vartan Khachatryan noted, that the social economic policy of 2007 will be directed to the maintenance of high and stable rates of economic growth, macroeconomic stability, rise of people’s life standard, poverty reduction, decrease of unemployment and the settlement of other social economic problems. Accepting the necessity of the stable tax-budgetary policy, the Government of the Republic of Armenia has elaborated long-term tax-budgetary principles, which are enshrined in the Poverty Reduction Strategic Program. During the elaboration of the program of 2007-2009 medium term expenses and of 2007 State Budget the Government has been guided by long-term tax-budgetary principles.

According to the 2007 State Budget, the general amount of revenues is planned to be 489.5 billion drams. About 97.6 percent of the current revenues will be formed from the taxes and state duties, which are planned to be 458.9 billion drams and which exceeds the amount of 2006 by 21.4 percent.

The budgetary entries of the Value Added Tax are planned to be 158.3 billion drams, the excise tax - 54.8 billion drams, the fixed fees - 48.7 billion drams, the profit tax - 72.6 billion drams, the income tax - 42.2 billion drams, the customs duties – 19.2 billion drams, the simplified tax – 8.7 billion drams, the state duties – 19.1 billion drams, the non-tax incomes – 11.4 billion drams.

The amount of budgetary expenses is planned to be 557.9 billion drams, and the deficit will be 68.3 billion drams.

At the end of 2007 the external state debt of the Republic of Armenia will be 1368.8 million US dollars. In 2006-2008 the indices describing the external state debt will be within the limits of countries having less and medium debts. Mr. Khachatryan presented also the amounts of budgetary allocations to different domains.

The discussion of the draft law on the 2007 State Budget of the Republic of Armenia will continue at NA November 14 session.