On March 4, 2021, on the initiative of the RA Ministry of Economy, a meeting-discussion was organized in the Ministry with the representatives of large commercial networks operating in Armenia.

The discussion was chaired by the RA Deputy Minister of Economy Varos Simonyan. The meeting was also attended by the Deputy Chairman of the RA State Revenue Committee Arthur Manukyan, the Head of the Business Support Office (BSO) Gevorg Poghosyan, responsible officers of the State Commission for the Protection of Economic Competition (SCPEC), the RA Ministry of Economy, and the Business Support Office, and the representatives of large commercial networks.

During the session of the SME Development Council on February 19, 2021, chaired by the RA Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan, issues related to large commercial networks, including those related to supply services, sales of local production, and others faced by SMEs were addressed.

The purpose of the organized discussion was to listen to the representatives of large commercial networks, present the issues raised by the latter’s supplying companies, and jointly find solutions to the existing problems.

Opinions were exchanged on setting payment timelines for supply services, sales of local production, problems caused by differences in taxation systems that originate when selling goods offered by micro and small business entities in commercial networks, possibilities for application of alternative taxation options, timelines for merchandise return, and procedures of cooperation with supply companies.

The meeting participants were also informed that the SCPEC developed an advisory guide addressing the regulation of conscientious relations between commercial networks and supply companies, whereby cooperation procedures are defined.

The meeting was concluded with the resolution that the issues raised will be collected and studied, a similar meeting will be held with supply companies with the aim to find favorable solutions for both supply companies and large commercial networks.