Taxation, Justice and Economic Development: Conference Summary

The International conference “Taxation, Justice and Economic Development” was held in Yerevan on 12th of February 2019 on the eve of expected reforms in Armenia’s tax system to discuss reform challenges and horizons jointly with experienced international experts, representatives of finance ministries and political figures of different countries. High-level guests from North Macedonia, Slovakia, Germany, Georgia, and representatives of the Government of Armenia and various circles came together in Yerevan. The event was organized by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) and Political Discourse (Diskurs.am) Journal. The key focus was on comparative advantages and disadvantages of progressive and flat income taxation systems.

Part 1 — Flat or Progressive? Armenian Plans & International Experiences with Income Tax Reform

• Felix Hett, Regional Director, FES South Caucasus Office

• Dr. Vahram Soghomonyan, Editorial Board Member, Political Discourse Journal, Yerevan (Diskurs.am)

• Arman Poghosyan, Deputy Minister of Finance of the Republic of Armenia

• Dragan Tevdovski, Minister of Finance of the Republic of Macedonia, Q&A

• Anton Marcinčin, Senior Advisor, Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic

• Beka Natsvlishvili, MP, Social Democrats for the Development of Georgia, Deputy Head of Commission on European Integration

YouTube Link English

YouTube Link Armenian

Part 2 — Keynote Speech: “Social Justice, Taxation and The Fight Against Tax Evasion – Experiences from Germany”

• Norbert Walter-Borjans, Former Minister of Finances in North Rhine Westphalia

YouTube Link English

YouTube Link Armenian

Part 3 — Round Table: Scenarios for a Fair Taxation Model in Armenia

YouTube Link English

Youtube Link Armanian