Yerevan, May 20, Armenpress: Armenian taxmen collected in the first four months of the year a little more than 53 billion drams, a 5.8 percent more than projected and 32.6 percent more from a year ago. A deputy head of the state taxation service, Robert Kocharian, told a news conference today that 41.2 percent were collected as profit taxes, income taxes made 30.7 percent and 33.3 percent came as VAT.

In terms of money the amount of profit taxes was 15.2 billion drams, well over 9.8 billion from a year ago. VAT revenues amounted to 15.3 billion drams against 10.1 billion from a year ago and income taxes rose to 7.6 billion drams against 5.6 billion drams of the first four months of 2004.

He said also 3.9 billion drams were collected as fixed payments against 3.4 billion from a year ago and so-called simplified taxes stood at 2.3 billion against 2.1 billion from a year ago. Kocharian said there are all indications that the projected amount of taxes for the first half of the year will be collected in due time. "All budget projected allocations will be made in due time," he said.