Pollution tax on import of Tetra Pak products suspended

The Government withdrew from Parliament the proposal concerning the setting of ecological taxes on the import of products in Tetra Pak or plastic packing and of plastic packing without content, Info-Prim Neo reports. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Valeriu Lazar said partners from Russia, Romania, Ukraine, the U.S. and other countries recommended instituting such taxes so as to impose equal environment pollution taxes on the foreign and nations companies. “We must take into consideration the requests of the national companies and foreign partners and thus propose withdrawing the amendments to the law on the pollution tax and abrogating the Government Decision whereby they were put forward. We will draft new amendments in consultation with representatives of businesses,” said the minister. An ecological tax of 0.5% of the invoiced value of the goods, but not more than 20,000 lei per customs statement, was proposed to be put on the import of products in Tetra Pak or plastic packing. The proposed taxes on the import of plastic packing without content were 0.5% – 1.5% – 3% of the invoiced value of the goods.