The minister of Finance Marcel Bolos declared on Wednesday, at the National Liberal Party (PNL) headquarters, that we must respect honest and fair taxpayers, not burden them with additional taxes and fees, because according to the job description, the minister of Finance should not be cornered because he proposed measures to combat tax evasion, for better capitalization of budget claims and for the restructuring of public debts.

Asked in a press conference, organized at the PNL headquarters, how he comments on the statements of prime minister Marcel Ciolacu, in connection with the new measures proposed by the ministry, according to which „sometimes, even the minister of Finance says crazy things,” Bolos replied „It didn’t sit well with me”.

„It is necessary to understand the role we have in this period of time. What would it be like to go to the office in Constitution Square, sit there, locked in the office, and do nothing? To see how the problems affecting the sustainability of public finances grow worse? I don’t want to be accused of this. It’s better to be told that I was more dynamic, I came up with more measures and I did my job as the Minister of Finance,” replied Bolos.

He pointed out that the minister of Finance must first consult, when it comes to measures in the field, with the business environment to which the respective measures are addressed, then at the level of the party and the governing coalition in order to take the appropriate decision.

„I explained to them (the business community, ed. n.) that no one deals with correct tax and tax payers, that we are discussing those who do not respect the law and do not pay their taxes and fees on time, that we are discussing combating tax evasion. And it must be clear, once and for all: it is a goal of Romania, being in a shameful ranking at the level of the European Union, and the figures show this, from the VAT gap to the gap in social contributions, it is a terrible level of evasion. Let’s have respect for honest and fair taxpayers, let’s not burden them with additional taxes and fees. (…) I, as the minister of Finance, in good faith, perform my duties exactly as provided by the job description and I think that you would not want to see a minister of Finance who is locked in his office at the Ministry of Finance and does not act to ensure the sustainability of public finance and to be firm in combating tax evasion,” Marcel Bolos also said.

AGERPRES