Amnesty, business opposes
01/04/2011 17:10
State nurse is paid without going to work, instead sells drugs from the pharmaceutical warehouse with the support of the director in Bushat 18/04 21:24
Although they have demanded it with persistence for many years, the businesses opposed the fiscal amnesty draft presented by the government, and demand amendments. Businessmen complain that this law gives no guaranty.
“If article no.22 provides that voluntary property declarations are accepted, but at the same time there will be a control by the tax inspectors, than this is not a voluntary declaration. These subjects cannot be part of the amnesty law. The Albanian business demands guaranty”, says Nikolin Jakaj, as director of the Commerce Room.
“This law clearly states the subject’s guaranties on article no. 13. There is also a very important element, which favors the subjects that legalize undeclared properties, by giving clarifications for any kind of ambiguity in the implementation of this initiative”, said vice minister of Finance, Alfred Rrushaj.
The amnesty fees are another controversial point, since the government promised that they would be minimal. But the business thinks it differently, especially for the fee of undeclared real estates.
“If the amnesty fee is 6%, we as initiators of this law and also the experts that we have consulted, are skeptic about the results or the positive impact that this law could bring to the economy”, Jakaj said.
“Few are the countries in the world that have implemented fees as low as ours”, says Rrushaj.
Opposition joined for the first time the discussions on this matter, and declared that in principle they are not against the amnesty, but cannot join such a process on the verge of local elections.
“Politics should not make electoral business with some concrete propositions and at the same time, the business cannot make politics with such initiatives, focusing on who of the political forces will support business or not. The moment chosen for this fiscal amnesty, instead of helping it, creates excessive negative barriers”, declared former Finance Minister, Arben Malaj.
“We as a parliamentary group will demand to the government in the parliamentary commission to propose this law in the adequate time. If the amnesty is not wide enough and if it does not transmit good policies in concept, it is very probable that instead of adding the taxpaying base, it will damage it”, says Socialist deputy Arben Ahmetaj.
But the Ministry of Finance says that it was the business who demanded the acceleration of this draft.
“This was demanded by the majority of businessmen. The government cannot be prejudiced for presenting the draft at this time. The Prime Minister and the Minister of Finances have expressed their will to implement this amnesty since a long time ago” Rrushaj confirmed.
The government has two drafts for the amnesty that will soon be delivered to the parliamentary commissions. If no consensus will be achieved on a wide amnesty, the Finance Ministry will demand the approval of the fiscal pardon law.
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