On July 1, a significant discussion was held within the framework of the NGO Center’s “Dialogue4Progress” platform, dedicated to the legislative draft on making amendments to the Tax Code of the Republic of Armenia. The event aimed to discuss the details of the draft with CSOs representatives.
The event was opened with welcoming remarks by Arpine Hakobyan, President of the “NGO Center” Civil Society Development NGO, Arman Poghosyan, Deputy Minister of Finance of the Republic of Armenia, and Lilia Afrikyan, Head of the Participatory and Open Governance Department of the Prime Minister’s Staff of the Republic of Armenia.
In her speech, Arpine Hakobyan noted that the discussed legislative draft, particularly the new “social expenditure” mechanism, is aimed at creating a favorable and encouraging environment for CSOs. Starting from 2027, this system will provide every citizen with the opportunity to become an active investor in the country’s development by directing the funds received back from their tax declaration to a non-profit organization or media outlet of their choice.
According to the NGO Center President, this is not just a financial issue, but a new culture of building trust, which will allow CSOs to expand their funding sources and mitigate their one-sided dependence on external grants, while simultaneously promoting the accountability of the public sector to the citizen.
During the meeting, Artur Aleksanyan, Head of the Income Policy and Tax Administration Methodology Division of the RA Ministry of Finance, presented the legislative reform draft, which was followed by a professional discussion and Q&A session.
This initiative is an important step aimed at strengthening the financial independence of CSOs from local sources, developing the culture of domestic donations, and promoting civic participation. The NGO Center values such open and participatory dialogues, hoping that through joint efforts, effective procedures that are free from bureaucratic hurdles and create real value for the public will be developed.