The holders of patents for entrepreneurial activity on November 18 will mount a new protest in front of the Government Building to demand that the ban on patent-based entrepreneurial activity from January 1, 2017 should be annulled. In a news conference at IPN, president of the Small Business Association Eugen Roscovanu said about 200 people are expected to take part in the protest that will continue in front of the Parliament Building.
Eugen Roscovanu said patent holders during the last two weeks took part in meetings of the Premier’s Economic Council, where they had heated discussions with its members and with representatives of the State Main Tax Inspectorate. A person informed about a number of companies that work in the underground economy or avoid paying taxes. Later this person was threatened. They consider some members of the Economic Council or officials of the Tax Inspectorate protect business entities that work illegally.
In another case, a member of the Small Business Association who distributed leaflets by which the people were invited to come to the November 18 protest was threatened and told to stop. Eugen Roscovanu said this is pressure exerted on the small business.
According to the small entrepreneurs, the Government’s proposal to purchase cash registers and to have accountants is unacceptable because it is expensive to maintain a cash register, while the payment of salary to the accountant will lead to much higher costs and the revenues will decrease. Eugen Roscovanu said that statistics show the number of small entrepreneurs has diminished owing to the coercive measures applied by the authorities. Currently, the number of SMEs is similar to that of 2012. The revenues of these enterprises also declined.
Eugen Roscovanu noted that he presented over 300 pages with signatories of patent holders who oppose the annulment of patent to the Premier’s Economic Council. Patents for entrepreneurial activity for the next year stopped to be issued and the closer is the day when the patent will be banned, the higher will be the number of people who will join the protests.
