Our faction is against the bill on setting a customs duty for cement import. This is what leader of Bright Armenia Party and head of the political party’s faction of the National Assembly Edmon Marukyan said during a briefing in parliament, commenting on the debates over Ararat Cement Factory owned by leader of Prosperous Armenia Party, oligarch Gagik Tsarukyan.

According to him, this can lead to growth of expenses for construction in Armenia and can, in essence, become a serious problem in terms of market liberalization. “We suggested organizing a wide debate and then raise new issues,” Marukyan clarified, adding that there is also a matter of interests in regard to the bill.

The National Assembly of Armenia approved the bill on setting an AMD 22,000 customs duty per ton of cement imported from Iran and other countries, but this didn’t satisfy deputies of the Prosperous Armenia faction who demanded setting a customs duty for importing cement clinker as well. This, in its turn, sparked the discontent of the deputies of the ruling My Step Alliance who noticed an overt attempt to monopolize the market.