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President Traian Băsescu reiterated the view according to which the additional excise duty on fuel is unnecessary, since the economic growth of 3.5% achieved in the previous year would be sufficient to generate revenues.
Băsescu believes that there is enough money in state coffers and that Romanians “must be informed” about the futility of the new excise.
In addition, the tax on special constructions or the so-called “pole tax” will be reformulated, and while the government estimated revenues of 400 million lei from it, in reality they would rise to 1.5 billion lei, said Băsescu.
The President claims that he returned to the Parliament the green certificates law to be notified as to the European Commission (EC), in the absence of an opinion from the Commission, Romania risking a new infringement.
The quantum of the ”pole tax” can be changed
“The pole tax was calculated initially at a collection rate of 30%,” says Valeriu Binig, director of Energy Resources, Deloitte Romania. Since “we speak about serious companies” and not tax evaders, the collection will be closer to 100%, explains Binig. And now a task group considers changing annual toll, currently at 1.5%, and the application base of the tax.
The task group consists of American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham), Foreign Investors Council (FIC ), the Association of Businessmen in Romania (AOAR ) and members of the embassies , bearing dialogues at ministerial level.
“I’m surprised about the media lobby against this tax,” said Dragos Rosca , managing partner Delta Asset Invest.
He accuses the lobby in the local press against the introduction of tax “on pole”, which would bring a restoration of a normal competition to the market, as some players already pay taxes on the buildings and conventional vehicles, while others are tax exempt for silos, warehouses or pipes.
One thing is certain: the pole tax will be introduced, it will most likely produce its first effects in 2015, but for now its application base and its amount may be changed, said many energy leaders.
