A tense standoff took place on February 8 between scores of Armenian motorists and policemen in the Armenian city of Gyumri, near the Georgian border. But the issue had nothing to do with civil rights. Rather, it was about being able to get cars imported via Georgia into Armenia without having to pay customs duties and a 32-percent Value Added Tax.
About 70 car owners attempted to block the highway leading to Georgia, a critical transportation artery, to pressure Armenian officials to abolish a requirement that all imported vehicles must clear customs.
So, why is that something to get riled up about? Well, until now, many car owners avoided paying these taxes by importing their cars into Georgia, registering them in Georgia (where import duties are lower), and then driving south to Armenia in cars with Georgian license plates. As "temporary imports," these cars did not have to clear Armenian customs, and were not subject to duties and VAT.
Owners of imported cars say they want to keep it that way. Several drivers with their vehicles were arrested by police on Tuesday, but car owners say that they plan to rally on -- next date, February 10.
Giorgi Lomsadze is a journalist based in Tbilisi, and author of Tamada Tales.
Sign up for Eurasianet's free weekly newsletter. Support Eurasianet: Help keep our journalism open to all, and influenced by none.