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PSD's Dragnea: no tax measures enforced before simulation regarding turnover and solidarity tax
Chairman of the ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD) Liviu Dragnea said on Wednesday that no tax measure will be enforced "abruptly", but only after detailed analyses and simulations are carried out.
"Both Premier Tudose and myself have said it on the very day the vesting vote was cast - that the parliamentary majority and the government's concern is that all the companies operating in Romania pay their taxes fairly and at the forecast level. This does not mean that the two or three envisaged measures won't be discussed. No measure will be enforced abruptly, detailed analyses and simulations will be first conducted. If a measure intended to bring to light possible profit transfers would affect honest companies, that measure will not be adopted," Dragnea said at the Palace of Parliament when asked when will the turnover tax be enforced.
He added that he and Premier Mihai Tudose had a "hands-on" discussion, with Tudose telling him that he is not skeptical about the economic measures in the governing program, "but is rather highly concerned that they truly attain their goal."
"If they attain their goal, but create failures elsewhere in the economy, those measures will not be enforced. I also had a detailed discussion with [ALDE Chairman] Mr. Tariceanu, we share the same views. Our public communication was not at its best on Thursday, it was a very agitated day, but things have meanwhile cleared up, and the Alliance relationship is not growing weary. As for the solidarity tax, there will be an analysis, a simulation, if it turns out that the planned positive effect of this measure is not justified, the measure will not be enforced," Dragnea pointed out.
Asked if the non-enforcement of the measures would mean that the governing program will no longer be observed, the PSD leader said that a thorough analysis will be made. "I hope we are able to find the way for everyone acting honestly to stand to gain, the state budget included. If we don't find such a way, we won't enforce measures that could do harm," Dragnea concluded.
He suggested on Wednesday to the business environment representatives that they should be patient until they meet government members to discuss the measures announced in the governance programme.
"We highly appreciate these criticisms. Our suggestion to them is to be patient and meet government representatives, as the measures haven't been provided there in order to be implemented the day before. I suggest patience to them, because same as all measures in the election programme have been adopted - when we take time to discuss with the business environment and they are quite satisfied with the adopted measures and with those to be taken - the same will happen in this case, too. There will be open, honest discussions and to the point. There has been much nervousness, we understand, there are still some issues, we have seen that attacks have started, I am not left alone, Prime Minister Tudose is also the target. I have asked them to take charge of the governance programme and make up for delays; discussions will start with the business environment and other society structures on every measure provided there," Dragnea said at Parliament Paalace, responding to whether or not the business community was consulted before some fiscal measures were proposed in the governance programme, as very many criticisms are coming from this area.
On the other hand, Dragnea mentioned that the Tudose Government will conduct weekly self-assessments.
"I believe that this government will operate better and differently. It already started on Sunday (...) to make a very detailed assessment of the exact circumstances it is starting from; they have already established, as the PM was saying last night, very well-articulated working groups, with weekly schedules and weekly reports, because self-assessment is the most efficient manner, instead of expecting someone else to assess. Of course we'll have regular talks inside the party, but this will be an entirely different thing, because they are the most interested, because they have a mandate from the parliamentary majority, therefore from Romanians (...) to put that governance programme into practice, and I have great confidence in them," Dragnea said.