31st Session of the SME Development Council led by the Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Khachatryan

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Council Meetings

On July 14, the 31st meeting of the SME Development Council was held under the chairmanship of Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Khachatryan.

The agenda of the meeting included two items. Within the framework of the first item, Hovsep Patvakanyan, Head of the Investment Council of Armenia, presented a comprehensive report on the progress of implementation of the decisions adopted by the Council in previous months. In this context, Anna Petrosyan, representative of the Competition Protection Commission of the Republic of Armenia, presented the results of monitoring the implementation of regulations aimed at preventing recurring non-fulfillment of payment obligations between retail chains and supplier organizations. The meeting participants discussed possible mechanisms to ensure timely payments. The possibility of introducing similar regulations aimed at preventing non-fulfillment of payment obligations in the public catering sector was also discussed, as well as issues related to improving shelf placement arrangements in retail chains from the perspective of SME producers’ interests.

Within the framework of the same agenda item, the proposed governance structure model for the implementation of the SME Competitiveness Strategy of Armenia for 2026–2030 was also discussed. It was decided to further discuss the matter within the framework of a sub-council meeting and finalize the model of the proposed structure based on the outcomes of those discussions.

The second agenda item concerned a draft proposal developed to facilitate the use of industrial-purpose land for renewable energy purposes. The draft proposes allowing the construction and operation of buildings and structures used for energy purposes on industrial, mining, and other production-purpose lands, in cases where the designated purpose of the land plot is considered changed through a simplified procedure.

The issue was presented by Council member Haykaz Fanyan, representative of the “Armenian Center for Socio-Economic Studies” Foundation. During the discussion, representatives of the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of the Republic of Armenia also presented their positions.

A positive position was formed regarding the issue. Summarizing the discussion, Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Khachatryan instructed the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia to continue the discussion of the issue in a working format, taking into account the proposals raised during the meeting, revise the draft, and ensure its further progress in accordance with the established procedure.