OREANDA-NEWS. June 18, 2008. RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan met with head of the IMF mission Martha Castello-Branco, IMF Permanent Representative in Armenia Ninke Oomes and the IMF Armenia Office representatives. In our country to discuss a macroeconomic policy- and structural reform-related agenda, the mission presented to the Prime Minister the IMF report on Armenia's tax reform by noting that the current discussions may provide a basis for the upcoming talks on a new IMF-GOA cooperation program. The meeting was attended by the chief economic adviser to RA President, the ministers of finance and economy, the head of the State tax service by the government, the CBA chairman and the head of the RA National Assembly standing committee on economic affairs.

The mission head said those at the IMF are encouraged by the Government's undertakings in the area of tax reform as reflected in the government program which she said to be in conformity with the principles issued by the Fund. In the opinion of mission representatives, aimed at curbing poverty and keeping up the pace of growth whilst combating corruption, Armenia's tax reform program is sufficiently comprehensive and all it needs is implementing in a coherent manner, account taken of the observations and recommendations raised in the Report. During the discussion, the interlocutors underscored the logic behind these reforms, namely the need for informing the public at large in a timely and easy-to-reach manner.

Expressing his appreciation for the preparation of the report, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan valued the comments available in the paper which is supposed to provide a framework for the development and implementation of the new bilateral cooperation program.