Armenian IT companies are among leaders on the world market, while Armenia is among outsiders in terms of computer users, Bargat Yengibaryan, Director of the Enterprises Incubator Foundation (EIF), stated at the forum “IT leaders’ casual meeting” in Aghveran, Armenia, on November 28-29.

This is evidence of the Government’s erroneous steps in developing the Armenian IT sector, Yengibaryan said. He pointed out that the gaps can yet be filled. Specifically, he proposes exemption of computer sale from the value-added tax (VAT). “The measure will stimulate demand and make computers affordable for socially vulnerable sections,” Yengibaryan said.

He also reported the commencement of a pilot program “Computers for everyone” in Armenia, which has already produced impressive results – 1,000 computers on average are sold a month.

Greater achievements can be expected if computers are exempted from VAT. Yengibaryan proposed two ways of resolving the problem: exempting computer sale from the VAT or channeling the tax revenues to social problems in this field. The latter option will enable the Government to provide more effective selective aid to socially vulnerable families. “Our aims is to bring the percentage computer-literate population from the current 5% up to 70% by 2018. It is an ambitious task, which is impossible to accomplish without radical changes,” Yengibaryan said.