The Office of the Human Rights Defender has
prepared a package of legislative drafts, proposing to exempt the value-added
tax (VAT) for the sale of all types of books, as well as the import of raw
materials necessary for printing books. The draft proposes not to extend the
VAT exception benefit to the sale of materials inciting national, racial,
religious hatred, preaching violence or war, as well as pornographic materials.
VAT exemption benefits are currently prescribed
for school books, music books, drawing books, children's and school literature,
but not for literary and artistic, socio-political or other printed or
electronic books.
Babken Tunyan, Chairman of the Standing
Committee on Economic Affairs, and Armen Martirosyan, Director of “Antares”
publishing house, presented the problem to the Human Rights Defender. Vice
President of the National Assembly Alen Simonyan also participated in the
development of the package of drafts, with whom the issue had been discussed as
well.
The proposed change will significantly promote printing
of books and will reduce the price of printed or electronic books. The
examination of international best experience by the Unit for Protection of
Rights in the Field of Business also served as a basis for such amendment.
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