Ponta: Passing the new tax codes will mean radical reform we can conduct now

Passing the Tax Code and the Code of Tax Procedure designed by the Government means radical reform in Romania that can be conducted now, because the economic results of Romania so far allows that, Prime Minister Victor Ponta told his cabinet at a meeting on Tuesday. He added that he will consider passing the two codes by assuming responsibility for them before Parliament only if there will be a political stalemate in Parliament.

Photo credit: (c) Liviu SOVA / AGERPRES PHOTO

He asked the ministers to submit the approvals for the two codes, so that after their discussion and approval inside the Cabinet late this March they may be forwarded to the Senate, the first chamber notified.

"To all the ministers who are to approve the Tax Code and the Code of Tax Procedure: bring the approvals to the Finance Ministry so that we may lodge them with Parliament and late this month forward them to the Senate, the first chamber notified. I want to tell everyone that very serious discussions are being conducted every day with the Coalition for Romania's Development, representatives of professional organisations, and everybody awaits the code with exceedingly high optimism. This is a radical reform in Romania that we can carry out now because all economic results of Romania, including in the first two quarters, data with the National Statistics Institute (INS) and Government receipts allow us to do so and we should not let this moment go to waste," said Ponta.

He added that he would like the two draft codes to be debated on April-June in Parliament.

"Only if there is some political stalemate in Parliament will I consider assuming responsibility. I hope not; as far as I noticed, the Opposition has changed its initial opinion, which was...