Yerevan/Mediamax/. Chairman of the State Committee for the Protection of Economic Competition (SCPEC) of Armenia Artak Shaboyan described the statement of “ArmenTel” General Director, according to which the legislative changes were not discussed with representatives of business, which they were to have direct effect on, as “ungrounded”.

Speaking at the Armenian-Russian Interregional Forum in Yerevan on April 19, General Director of “ArmenTel” Igor Klimko said that in connection with putting the law “On Purchases” into effect and approval of the new version of the law “On Protection of Economic Competition”, new administrative barriers might occur.

“We believe that there are a number of shortcomings and defects in the mentioned laws, which might have not existed if the draft laws were discussed with representatives of business, which the legislative changes were to have direct effect on”, Igor Klimko said.

Artak Shaboyan said in an interview to Mediamax that according to the request of the Committee, the Union of Manufacturers and Entrepreneurs of Armenia (UMEA) held large-scale discussion of legislative amendments with Armenian entrepreneurs. He noted that the Committee officially turned to UMEA for organization of meetings, familiarizing the entrepreneurs and businessmen with the content of proposed changes beforehand.

“It is difficult for me to say whether “ArmenTel” representatives were present at the meeting, since the entire process was coordinated by UMEA. This discussion was taking place last year and the amendments became a topic of large-scale discussions”, Artak Shaboyan said.

“There were many public statements made concerning the discussion of the law in SCPEC. Moreover, the draft law was submitted to the parliament in December, 2010, and before the second reading there was a long interval, which the representatives of “ArmenTel” could have used to express their ideas and thoughts by turning to the Committee directly”, he said in an interview to Mediamax.

Spokesman of the Union of Manufacturers and Entrepreneurs of Armenia Vrezh Sarukhanyan informed Mediamax that the mentioned meeting took place at the session of UMEA presidium. “ArmenTel” is not a member of UMEA presidium and was not invited to the discussion”, he said.