Tagged: tax
the inner evolution
I don’t believe in solving problems by changing one president to another one. I believe in inner evolution, instead of revolution. Especially if the coming president was in power before and had all chances to shine like a star, but did not. So, I don’t believe that changing the president, minister, prime-minister, parliament speaker, etc., will give any touchable, material, evident result. And here is why.
If you change the driver, but do not change the traffic rules – nothing will change. If you change your Opel to Maserati but your fuel tank is empty – the car won’t move. If you change your dentist, but don’t give him/her proper tools and medical equipment – s/he cant help you. If you change your president to expect him/her to change everything in the country, but you don’t change social perception of the problems, you don’t change your attitude towards the country, city and you think you should not demand anymore, as the right guy is in power – nothing will happen, nothing will change.
The history of Europe and North America vividly shows that the prosperity can come without revolutions too. And the history of revolutions will show you that 90% of revolutions brought chaos, regress of economy, depression, refugees and enormous sorrow to a mankind. So, no revolution, but inner evolution.
Inner evolution is another way and method of asking questions and demanding justice. It is another, new way of holding officials accountable. Remember, if officials are not allowed to steal, if they are controlled, if they have no chance to engage in corrupt practice – they will leave themselves. And if you change one president to another without changing anything else – it will most certainly be worse.
So instead of demanding revolution, you should demand laws to be obeyed. Instead of demanding revolution you should ask questions and hold officials accountable for every single step they make. Instead of demanding revolution you should tell the president, prime-minister, ministers, etc. that they and their families eat, because you pay their salaries from your pocket. You should tell every police officer, that he has his breakfast because you paid your taxes. You should tell the judge that he/she can afford those shoes because you paid for them. You should demand definite answers, distinct programs and plans, solid satisfaction and substantial reforms, and never a revolution.
They will never leave, remember that. They will never leave, unless they know it is unbearable and they have to report their every step. Unless you yourself stop violating the law and paying bribes.
I met so many people paying bribes to tax inspectors and blaming this reality, this country, this president, this system, etc.,.
When do you pay bribes? When you did something wrong and you don’t want to pay penalties to the state. You prefer a cheaper method. And then you blame the state, the tax inspector and everyone on earth because you first violated the law, and then you violated the law for the second time when you paid a bribe. Until we have citizens like you, this country will never become the country of your dream. Whoever is the president.
And you know what tax inspectors told me? They told me Tax Inspection is the most human organization in this country, because it gives a chance. It doesn’t sue your shoes off and it doesn’t take you to jail. It offers you a solution for the crime you made. Ironic, isn’t it?
Revolution is never a solution. Demanding a revolution is indecent, lazy and wrong way of solving problems. Those who demand revolutions (i.e. changing one president to another) simply do not want this country to prosper.
what’s next?
Finally, a small but important move.
It’s good to see some of the points highlighted in these 13 steps implemented even before elections. Yes, Republicans try to win a reputation and some votes. Bravo, I salute this.
So what happened. At today’s government meeting the decision was made to stop taxing the profit that generates from IT adaptation and service, know-how and innovation.
My guess is the decision was pushed by the Head of State Revenue Committee, Mr. Gagik Khachatryan. Arguably, he is backing one of the biggest Internet and Satellite TV providers in Armenia, a company named “uCom”. Mr. Khachatryan was the one reporting and offering this change in the legislation at today’s meeting.
But I actually don’t care. This decision unchains the whole range of new, cool and forward-looking companies too. What’s next?
free Nareg?
Free Nareg?
I came across this publication about imprisoning of Nareg Hartounian.
http://blog.hetq.am/2011/12/11/free-nareg/
It says how good Nareg is and that he was imprisoned for refusing to pay a healthy amount of money. Nareg is indeed good. He did a lot for promoting arts and Armenian culture.
When you read the article your impression is – he was asked to pay a bribe, then he refused to pay, and for that very reason he was taken to jail. What an injustice. Naturally, people reading this article will go and sign a petition. I would also sign it, as I want this guy to be freed. However.
One needs to be mediocre and brainwashed not to question why they imprisoned Nareg. One needs to be half blind and half deaf to judge based on whatever the state says or whatever this publication says. One needs to be a headless clone to go and sign a petition without trying to find out what’s going on.
Ask yourself at least the following. Did they want him to pay the amount as a bribe? Of course not, because the state wanted it to be officially transferred to the state budget.
So if the state thinks someone owes money to the budget, naturally it demands that money back. If the purpose was to imprison Nareg – they could do it some 6 months ago, when they first asked him to pay taxes. The state waited for half a year – but Nareg prefers to play political imprisonment instead.
Our state is so immature and ignorant, it does not even bother to explain the reasons behind imprisonment. Officials in tax service are actually career and money-driven assholes, they don’t care about reporting to public. Naturally they live in 1978 and they don’t know what Internet, online petitions, blogs and civil society are. They read only their official circulars and they will be surprised to know that a lot of people care about Nareg’s case. Or they will not, as they may thing being right is enough. Well, dear state, being right is not enough nowadays, you need to make a noise about it.
And one more thing, the state can not ALWAYS be wrong.
And isn’t our position as citizens to demand justice and information? Instead of signing petitions to free someone without bothering to find out the reasons for imprisonment.
Very few people know that Nareg has a share in another, for profit company. Even less know that imprisonment is related to the profits gained by this very company and taxes hidden from the state. But everyone rushes to sign a petition.
Let us think together. What are taxes? Taxes are pensions and salaries, roads and hospitals, defense and security. Taxes are everyday country management. No single state will tolerate tax violations.
Can we really demand taxes from Lfiks and other criminal oligarchs if we want to free our fellow who refused paying taxes? Shouldn’t we rather ask him to either pay taxes or prove he doesn’t owe anything to the state? Apply to court, European court, but for Christ’s sake do not play political card, it is so cheap…This is not the way one should love Armenia. This is not Armenian culture we should promote.
