President Igor Dodon, who has recently promulgated the set of laws on budgetary-fiscal policy and tax amnesty, has entered a yet-invisible conflict with the Socialist Party, as PSRM condemns the set of laws on fiscal amnesty or voluntary disclosure of wealth and the minor taxation reform. This is the opinion of Association for Participatory Democracy ADEPT leader Igor Boțan. In an interview with Radio Free Europe, the analyst added that PSRM leader Zinaida Greceanîi has explained why the Party she leads had left the Parliament hall, mentioning that fiscal amnesty is incorrect in the way it was passed, IPN reports.
The PSRM leader said the fiscal amnesty is unfair. The Socialist Party has been long promoting a fiscal reform that involves, first and foremost, tax exemptions for citizens with low incomes. Additionally, she highlighted that the Socialist Party proposes a three-tier taxation system – 7%, 17%, and 25%. “Alas, the first surprise. Mister Dodon claims the Democrats have acted correctly, as he himself had been promoting fiscal amnesty for a long time, and that he insists on flat, that is, uniform taxation for all citizens of Moldova,” noted Igor Boțan.
The ADEPT Director believes Igor Dodon hasn’t even discussed the matter with the Socialist Party. At least, in the memo he published, when announcing the promulgation of the bill, he had no mention of the PSRM parliamentary group - an extreme peculiarity.
When asked whether the promulgation of this bill will bring the President political profits, or if he would’ve been better off opposing it, the ADEPT leader said the most important thing for Igor Dodon was to conform to the new set of laws lobbied by PDM and to obscure public vision, saying, as he has - that it was necessary, albeit insufficient. This, in the analyst’s opinion doesn’t harm him, or the Party, because things have become more or less stable on the political arena - he, as well as PSRM, have a certain approval rate.
“I think that, per ensemble, the Socialists are at a loss, but it is again arguable. Mr. Dodon launched himself at development partners as well. The development partners, I mean the United States, European Union, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, has clearly stated that Moldova has breached its engagements. The same thing, in fact, was mentioned by Mrs. Zinaida Greceanîi through the arguments she presented to the public, after having left the Parliament session hall,” noted Igor Boțan.
The Parliament has voted at the end of the previous session a bill stipulating that individuals can voluntarily disclose their undeclared goods, or goods that have been declared at reduced values. This refers to money, real estate, mobile goods, company shares, transportation means both within the country and outside its borders. Voluntary disclosers will be subject, until the deadline of February 1, 2019, to a voluntary disclosure state fee of 3% from the sum, value, or difference in the value of the disclosed goods.
