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ARPI ROADSIDE MARKET FALLS ON HARD TIMES
hetq
14:10, June 8, 2012
The busy roadside market near the village of Arpi on the Yerevan-Syunik
stretch of highway has fallen victim to a recent change in the law
regarding the payment of permit fees.
Only a few vendors are left selling a limited variety of local produce.
The roadside market was a fairly bustling stop for tourists from Iran
and native Armenians travelling through Vayots Dzor to other locations.
Vendors say that they used to be regarded as individual proprietors
that paid 25-30,000 AMD in taxes during the middle of every month. As
of April 1, when the changes to the law went into effect, they must
now fork over 185,000 AMD at the start of each quarter.
As a result, many vendors have packed up and left. Some are now working
for the owner of the market, Arpi native Gagik Petrosyan. He works
as a bodyguard for former RA President Levon Ter-Petrosyan and used
to be the police chief for a number of local communities.
Vendors say that Petrosyan's business isn't doing so well and that
they don't have all that much to sell.
A man who has been selling his wares at the market for the past 10
years frowned when we asked how the market was doing.
"We used to have a lot of people stopping off here. Today, only three
buses of Iranians and two cars have pulled in."
hetq
14:10, June 8, 2012
The busy roadside market near the village of Arpi on the Yerevan-Syunik
stretch of highway has fallen victim to a recent change in the law
regarding the payment of permit fees.
Only a few vendors are left selling a limited variety of local produce.
The roadside market was a fairly bustling stop for tourists from Iran
and native Armenians travelling through Vayots Dzor to other locations.
Vendors say that they used to be regarded as individual proprietors
that paid 25-30,000 AMD in taxes during the middle of every month. As
of April 1, when the changes to the law went into effect, they must
now fork over 185,000 AMD at the start of each quarter.
As a result, many vendors have packed up and left. Some are now working
for the owner of the market, Arpi native Gagik Petrosyan. He works
as a bodyguard for former RA President Levon Ter-Petrosyan and used
to be the police chief for a number of local communities.
Vendors say that Petrosyan's business isn't doing so well and that
they don't have all that much to sell.
A man who has been selling his wares at the market for the past 10
years frowned when we asked how the market was doing.
"We used to have a lot of people stopping off here. Today, only three
buses of Iranians and two cars have pulled in."