YEREVAN. – In January-November 2012, the 451 health care organizations in Armenia have paid AMD 12.1 billion (approx. $29,731,013) in taxes to the state budget, Health Minister Derenik Dumanyan informed during Thursday’s Cabinet meeting.   

This amount is 16.6 percent more as compared with the year past, and the profit tax that was paid within this amount is 79 percent more. The income tax and social security tax payments have increased, too.  

“The progressive growth in the profit tax, as compared with the income tax, shows that the salaries of the medical workers are increasing unequivalently with the growth in revenues, [and] the regional governors are warned about this,” the health minister said.   

In his turn, State Revenue Committee Deputy Chairman Armen Alaverdyan noted that the amount of taxes, which the country’s medical facilities have paid for six months, is concerning, but there are positive trends in the recent months.         

“More than half of the hospitals, however, are not showing an increase that is equivalent to the economic growth, [and] therefore we have intensified control efforts,” Alaverdyan said.