PM-designate Citu: Ruling coalition won't increase or introduce taxes, main effort is collection improvement

The Prime Minister-designate, Florin Citu, said at Parliament's meeting on Wednesday to invest the Government that the future governing coalition will not increase or introduce taxes and charges, its main effort being geared towards improving the collection.

"For me and for my center-right government, private property is sacred and the entrepreneur is a hero. We will take even more steps to simplify the rules and debureaucratize, to facilitate voluntary compliance and tax administration. I will implement a fairer, more efficient, simpler and more transparent tax system that will support economic activities. We know very well that today Romania is the country with one of the lowest tax burdens, a low tax income in GDP, in the EU. It's not a very bad thing. At the same time, the coalition will not increase or introduce new taxes and charges. At the current stage, the main effort will be made to improve the collection, by eliminating distortions and gaps that allow the tax burden to be minimized and to ensure fairness and equity in the system, as we did this year, in the crisis period, when we cashed more than you cashed in years of economic growth," Citu pointed out in the plenary reunion of the two chambers of the Parliament.

He added that the fiscal system would be adapted to the evolution of the economy so as to facilitate economic growth. At the same time, he stressed that he wants the state to "stop abusing" citizens and that this can only be achieved through digital transformation and computerization of public institutions.

"I propose that the citizen be equal to the state - again I look at you, in your time it has never been like this - both in financial and administrative relations. In my mandate, I wish that the state would no longer abuse Romania's citizens, it is one of my main concerns. And this can only be achieved through digital transformation and computerisation of public institutions - another important objective of mine. Moreover, the pandemic and its consequences on the life of citizens and society as a whole have brought to the fore the importance of digitization in all areas of the economy. In order to improve administrative processes and facilitate interaction with citizens and businesses, it is necessary to transform public administration using new generations of digital tools," he said.

He has provided assurances that pensioners and those who need help will not be left behind.

In terms of external relations, Citu highlighted the importance of EU membership and the projects Romania has with the US.

"I firmly declare that there is only one way for Romania: together with the EU, as a full member. Similarly, in terms of special relationship with the United States of America, we will remain firmly engaged in all the projects we have together, military or economic," he said.

AGERPRES