YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, NOYAN TAPAN. A new concept of
Armenia's IT sector is being developed by the RA ministry of
trade and economic development jointly with the Union of IT
Enterprises (UITE). The union is the main initiator of
developing this document and will be the ministry's partner in
implementation of this concept. The RA deputy minister of trade
and economic development Vahe Danielian stated this at the
February 6 congress of the UITE.
The chairman of UITE Hovhannes Avoyan said in his speech
that since the foundation of the union in 2000, the number of
its members has considerably grown, as well as its role and
influence have increased. At present the UITE is a full and
associate member of 23 big organizations of IT and other
sectors. H. Avoyan attached importance to 2007 - the year in the
union's history "when during a meeting with the RA president,
our important problems were outlined and prerequisites for
developing a new stratgy were created", as well as discussions
and other events were held.
The executive director of the union Karen Vardanian pointed
out in his summary report that the 2008 state budget for the
first time envisaged allocations for development of the IT
sector: for research, presentation of the Armenian IT sector
abroad, specialized contests, and other programs. According to
him, if the Armenian government adopts the indicated concept in
the form of the current draft, the UITE must develop a new
strategy of the union because the problems of the current
strategy will be solved with adoption of this concept. K.
Vardanian said that the appreciation of the Armenian dram
against the US dollar, the imperfect customs legislation,
inconsistency between the educational system and the requirements
of the IT sector may be an obstacle to implementation of the
ambitious goals envisaged by the draft. He considered the
absence of a separate state body performing the function of the
sector's management as an obstacle to development of the sector
too. It was stated that proposals to create such a body and to
discuss the problems hindering the sector's development have
been submitted to the Armenian prime minister.
The director general of Synopsys Armenia company Hovik
Musaelian and the director of the Enterprise Incubator
Foundation Bagrat Yengibarian also made speeches at the
congress. Then the UITE's financial report and reports of
various sections of the union were presented. After discussion
of the presented programs, speeches and proposals, the congress
delegates took part in elections of chairman and members of the
UITE board.