Yerevan, June 21. /Mediamax/. Armenian President Robert Kocharian said in Yerevan today that the small and medium entrepreneurship [SME] in Armenia is actively developing. He presented the data according to which the SME share in GDP totals 40%, and 16% in the export sctructure.

As the presidential press service told Mediamax today, Robert Kocharian met today with the representatives of small and medium entrepreneurship from Yerevan and Armenia’s regions.

“It’s difficult to find a man in Armenia who wouldn’t like to have his own business. This is evidence of the strong inner desire to be the master of own destiny. And this is a serious stimulus for the development of small and medium entrepreneurship,” the President said.

The participants of the meeting drew the president’s attention to some unresolved problems: the need to shorten tax audits, the provision of consultative support to entrepreneurs from the regions, etc.

During the meeting the parties considered issues related to the allocation of long-term loans with low interest rates and the prospects of expanding the leasing services.

The regional entrepreneurs pointed out that it’s hard to meet the standards of pawns to receive loans, as the prices for land and property in the regions are lower than in the capital. In this respect, Robert Kocharian said that for softening the situation the volume of the program of loan guarantees financed from the state budget will be increased this year.

The participants of the meeting also touched the problem of national currency fluctuations in relation to the U.S. Dollar. Armenian President noted that the entrepreneurs should safeguard themselves by concluding contracts to avoid undesirable influences.