The bill on meal vouchers was adopted by Parliament in the first reading. The meal vouchers will be provided as an employee bonus and employers will not be obliged to introduce them, IPN reports.

The nominal value of a meal voucher per working day is 45 lei. This sum is not taxable. The value of the meal voucher will be indexed annually, proportionally to the inflation rate set for January-December of the previous year.

Speaker of Parliament Andrian Candu, who is the bill author, said the given proposal institutes an additional social protection mechanism for employees. At the same time, it is a measure to fight the illegal payment of salaries and tax evasion.

In the debates on the bill, Liberal MP Vadim Pistrinciuc suggested instituting an additional salary bonus instead of the meal voucher so as not to spend money on voucher management.

Liberal MP Alina Zotea said this law will actually make the employees to ponder over the benefits provided by the employer when signing an individual work contract. The fact that the meal vouchers can be used only at particular public eateries could lead to unfair competition.

After Democratic MP Petru Stirbate called on entrepreneurs to increase the sum intended for meal vouchers, Andrian Candu explained that the sum that will exceed 45 lei will be taxable. “We must be very attentive and avoid tax evasion,” stated the Speaker.

The bill is to be passed in the final reading.