Armenia: Entrepreneurs protest in front of government building

New customs rules that came into force in Armenia on September 1 and a 6-fold increase in customs duties have given rise to discontent: on September 9, business owners in Yerevan held a protest against new regulations that will oblige them to go through more intensive customs clearance standards. 

Earlier, importers paid customs clearance fees according to weight. Now, all products must be declared separately, imported items have to be reported separately, and the total customs fee will depend on the product's value.

Besides, on September 9, Yerevan also established new rules and restrictions for street trading.

One of the protesters said that on the morning of September 9, the customs duty was 54,000 drams ($ 112), and on September 10 - 316,000 drams ($ 659).