Prime minister Marcel Ciolacu, leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), said that VAT will be at the same rate next year in March, adding that VAT on food and medicines will remain at 9 percent.

Asked on private broadcaster Digi 24 on Tuesday evening how much VAT will be in March 2025, the prime minister replied: „The same, unchanged. Moreover, I can tell you with certainty that VAT on food and medicines will remain at 9 percent”.

He blamed the electoral context for statements such as that of PNL first vice-president Rares Bogdan, who speaks of a VAT of 24-25 percent.

„I don’t want to contradict anyone and I understand the outbursts, because they are in an electoral context. I don’t know what the vote gain is , but everyone has their own campaign strategy. This strategy is beyond me: to announce that there will be an apocalypse caused by a government of which you are a member and the PSD-PNL coalition. I can tell you with certainty, because there has already been discussion and negotiation… there has been discussion and negotiation since I took office as prime minister and then they wanted to increase VAT. And I said that’s out of the question. We had inflation of over 10 percent (…) Any percentage point increase in VAT leads to a 0.5 percent increase in inflation. This is out of the question,” Ciolacu said.

AGERPRES