Thursday, May 2 2019 13:33

ArmInfo. Mobile trade laborers are holding a protest action in front of the Armenian government building. Protesters protest against a power outage, arguing that it  is illegal, and declare monopolization of the sphere.

Aren Melikyan, founder of the Union of Mobile Cafes, told reporters  that on April 19 they began to turn off electricity. Thus, as he  pointed out, the municipality took illegal steps, depriving them of  electric power (despite direct agreements with Electric Networks of  Armenia CJSC), which is aimed at hindering the work of mobile cafes.  Today, they are forced to work only on holidays, since working on  electricity generated by a generator is unprofitable.

According to him, 47 mobile cafes are currently suspended, 9 of them  have already been moved from the center of Yerevan. "We can  independently release the territory, but we ask the mayor's office to  also meet, including to enable business to work until the field is  finally regulated," said Melikyan. At the same time, according to  him, there is a cafe, which was given permission by the former  government, and they continue to receive electricity and work. Thus,  according to Melikyan, a discriminatory approach is manifested.

Representatives of the sphere suspect that an attempt is being made  to monopolize the sphere. "It is rumored that a monopoly is being  formed on the market, because it seems that by this step they want to  clear the field. There is information that there are already ready  factory cars, and they are already installed, all this is connected  with the plans of the major players. I don't want to give names, but  we are talking about the desire of a millionaire official to enter  the market, " Melikyan said.

The representative of the sphere noted that the practice of locating  mobile cafes exists in all civilized countries, and they are  regulated accordingly. After studying international experience, they  propose to determine the allowable number of similar cafes in the  center of Yerevan, the distance from one object to another.

As a result, today laborers in the sector require a meeting with the  Prime Minister, as well as the opportunity to continue working with a  temporary solution to the problem until the full legislative  regulation of mobile commerce. As Melikyan pointed out, at the  present time they regularly fulfill all tax liabilities, and in the  future they are also not going to evade paying taxes and license  fees. At the same time, they hope that the legislative field will be  formed with their direct participation.

Vans-shops are installed in almost all the streets of the small  center of Yerevan. Metropolitan Municipality recently began to settle  the sphere.