logo

Draft budgetary-fiscal policy for 2016 adopted in first reading


https://www.ipn.md/en/draft-budgetary-fiscal-policy-for-2016-adopted-in-first-reading-7966_1026430.html

Parliament carried the 2016 draft budgetary-fiscal policy in the first reading on April 1. The document was passed by the votes of the parliamentary alliance, the opposition expressing its dissatisfaction with it and saying that it further impoverishes the population when the economic situation is rather bad already, IPN reports.

The goal of the policy is to diminish customs and tax evasion and to efficiently collect resources in the national public budget. It provides for the rise in the tax on farmland by 15% and in the excise duties on oil products, cigarettes, apple and pear cider, beer, strong alcoholic beverages and jewelry. The income tax rates for private individuals and legal entities are maintained at the level of 2015.

A property tax is introduced for persons who possess buildings that are over 120 square meters in area and have an estimated value of over 1.5 million lei. This tax is to be paid by December 25 of each year. Another new tax is the tax on motor vehicles registered in the Republic of Moldova. This replaces the road toll. However, the road toll for vehicles that weren’t registered in Moldova, or the vignette, was raised.

Communist MP Oleg Reidman harshly criticized the draft budgetary-fiscal policy, saying this should ensure a balance between the consumption needs of the people and the amounts collected into the state budget, but the document presented in Parliament does not do this.

Lib-Dem Vadim Pistrinciuc said the draft budgetary-fiscal policy does not meet the expectations of the opposition and the people and does not deliver the promises made by the current government as to the encouragement of businesspeople. This is a speculative document that does not encourage the business community.

The draft budgetary-fiscal policy is to be discussed in the second reading after April 11. In the period, the MPs can submit amendments to it.