Change expected after appointment of new MSTI head

Today, August 6, the appointment of the new head of the Main State Tax Inspectorate (MSTI) Nicolae Vicol becomes effective, having been appointed to this position at the order of the Minister of Finance. His promotion followed the dismissal of Nicolae Platon, who had held this position since 2009, reports Info-Prim Neo. According to a communique from the Ministry of Finance, Vicol is acquainted with the field, having held the position of head of North Regional Tax Inspectorate of the major contributors’ Division of the MSTI. He has been working in the MSTI since 1998. Platon’s dismissal and Vicol’s appointment come after Vlad Filat, at the end of last week, had a meeting with the MSTI board, division heads, as well as heads of territorial tax inspectorates, also Minister of Finance Veaceslav Negruta, Minister of Internal Affairs Dorin Recean, CCECC director Viorel Chetraru, and head of the Customs Service Tudor Balitchi. The Prime Minister expressed his discontent with MSTI’s activity, mentioning that the fiscal administration in Moldova is a “poor” one. He said that he had amended the legislative framework, and there are sufficient levers for an efficient fiscal administration, yet the levers are not being applied, fiscal evasion continues, and millions are being leaked through ghost-firms. On the other hand, the Budget revenues are decreasing, whereas the country has various needs that cannot be met because the Budget does not have sufficient means. The Premier requested the dismissal of Platon, who had some achievements during his time as MSTI head, but, as the Premier mentioned, currently a change that would make the MSTI activity more efficient is needed. “One gets the impression that paying taxes in Moldova is something completely unknown to some contributors, not a citizen’s moral duty. And the fiscal inspectors have become controllers, and do not persuade the contributors into complying voluntarily and honoring their duty towards the State”, said Filat. When asked if the MSTI head swap will bring changes towards the improvement of the fiscal administration and the increase to Budget accumulations, president of the Management Consultants’ Association Ion Prisacaru, ex-head of the MSTI, said that things are not that simple. Changes don’t only depend on who is leading the Inspectorate, although this detail cannot be overlooked. The fiscal base needs to be increased, along with the capacities of MSTI’s institutional subdivisions, and the methods of collaboration with other control-enabled bodies, as well as with the civil society, need to be revised. “15 years ago, I proposed to introduce a school course, in which students would learn about the obligation to pay taxes. I have even developed a small manual, but I hadn’t been supported by the Ministry of Education back then, and later the issue didn’t even resurface. Look at the US citizens: it is an honor for them to pay taxes. And what is our attitude? Just by changing the MSTI head, things will not change; the State’s institutions must collaborate, citizens must be explained the reason why it is necessary that all contributors pay taxes, and then more will voluntarily comply”, explained Prisacaru.