A group of nongovernmental organizations express their concern and condemn the adoption of the package of tax initiatives and capital amnesty. They call on the President of Moldova not to promulgate the given package and request the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the European Union to examine the given law and determine its compatibility with the international and bilateral commitments made by Moldova to each of the partners, IPN reports.
In a statement, the NGOs say the fiscal reform is a new attempt to amnesty the capital obtained from dubious sources. It is suspicious as this measure was presented as an element of a broad fiscal reform without an impact analysis, but this is mandatory in such situations. “It seems that the intention of the fiscal amnesty is camouflaged by fiscal reforms, some of which have been long-waited by businesses and are welcomed by citizens. The fiscal amnesty will have as affect the deepening and encouragement of corruption, but we, as society, do not want this,” reads the statement.
According to the NGOs, contrary to the recommendations formulated by the IMF and the WB, the authorities launched a reform with unpredictable consequences for the national economy and for the relations with foreign backers. “The political risk of the multiple tax concessions stipulated by the so-called “small fiscal reform” is justified only when this is aimed at covering the capital amnesty envisioned by bill No. 284 (concerning voluntary declaration of property) that was promoted in parallel and as a matter of urgency in Parliament,” says the statement.
The organizations remind that a similar bill was proposed in 2016 and this was harshly criticized by the community of experts, civil society and international organizations. “The insistent return to the amnesty of accumulated and undeclared capitals, despite the negative appraisals of international organizations, shows groups of interests infiltrated in the political sphere are being promoted,” stated the NGOs.
The signatories are the Expert-Grup Independent Analytical Center, the Legal Resources Center, the Center for the Analysis and Prevention of Corruption, the Center for Policies and Reforms, the Institute for European Policies and Reforms and Promo-LEX Association.
