This week the Armenian National Assembly focused on a number of draft bills designed to exempt the Armenian Apostolic Church from paying taxes.

According to the bills, the Church would be granted an exemption from compiling an property inventory of churches that it owns but which do not have the status of a cultural monument, as well as buildings and other structures operated for the production and sale of as spiritual, cultural, educational and church related items.

We have obtained a list of such property that belongs to the Church but that are not registered as “possessing any historical-cultural value”.

It includes 20 residential homes, 35 apartments, 4 forest-parks (one of which is located in Etchmiadzin and encompasses 3 hectares), 2 restaurants and 4 villas.

One of the villas is located at 1 Baghramyan Avenue in Yerevan. We visited the site and found no one living inside. Neighbors we spoke to said that the gate is mostly closed and they hardly see anyone coming or going.

The Church also seeks to be exempted from taxes on 4 pasturelands ranging from 3.15 to 7.39 hectares.

The list also includes 1 garage, 1 livestock pen and 3 pension homes and health resorts.

The parking garage is operated by the Church on a profit basis.

Yesterday, in a press briefing with reporters, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan stated that stores, restaurants and similar structures would not be included in the list for exemptions.

Minister of Culture Hasmik Poghosyan told Hetq that the Church would only be exempted from paying property and land taxes on structures operating adjacent to churches – museums, seminaries and book stores.