Legislative Proposal for Promoting Business Interests of Pro-Government Oligarchs

According to the newspaper “Zhamanak,” a group of deputies from the “My Step” faction of the National Assembly, including the chairman of the Economic Affairs Committee Babken Tunyan, Hayk Gevorgyan, Gevorg Papoyan, Argishti Mekhakyan, Tigran Karapetyan, and Karen Hambartsumyan have presented a legislative initiative aimed at promoting the business interests of the new government’s affiliated oligarchs.

Specifically, they are proposing to amend the law on “Geographical Indications.” If this amendment is adopted, it will be possible to have several mineral water producers named “Jermuk” or “Bjni” in Armenia.

This means, for instance, that Khachatur Sukiasyan could label his “Sil” mineral water as “Bjni,” or dozens of companies could produce mineral water under the name “Jermuk.” Naturally, this initiative is justified by claims of improving the competitive environment and other grandiloquent formulations.

More details can be found in today’s issue of the newspaper.