Romania ‘has difficulties fighting fraud’

It is not a secret that Romania is facing serious problems in what tax evasion is concerned, but the authorities are trying to implement some measures to correct this situation, said the European Commissioner for Taxation, Customs, Anti-fraud and Audit Algirdas Semeta for Radio România Actualităţi.

‘It is very important for these measures to respect the European legislation. In order for that to happen, we maintain permanent contact with the authorities from Bucharest and we even offer concrete recommendations to make the actual system better’, Commissioner Algirdas Semeta also said.

Streamlining the administration when it comes to value added tax registration, reviewing the way the refunding of the value added tax requests are handles and limiting cash payments are just three examples of recommendations made by the European Committee. The commissioner has reached the conclusion that in the field of taxes, the cooperation with Romanian authorities is very good.

‘I hope that after this visit the situation concerning the fight against fraud will also change.

There have been some difficulties in this field for some time now, because of the shortcomings in the legislation for the anti-corruption department. I was assured that the authorities intend to adopt the necessary legislation in March.

‘Of course, we will monitor the situation, because the cooperation in the fight against fraud is of crucial importance both for the Committee and the Romanian authorities’ said Algirdas Semeta.

The absorption of the funds in agriculture, ‘way below the European average’

He also said that in what the absorption of the European funds is concerned, Romania could do much more, and offered as an example the poor absorption of the agricultural funds, which is currently way below the European average.

‘I think it is very important that the management and control systems in the country function efficiently, so that the rules of public auction will be clear and transparent in order to avoid possible interest conflicts’ said the European Commissioner for Taxation, Customs, Anti-fraud and Audit Algirdas Semeta.

The European Commissioner came to Romania last week on an official visit. In Bucharest, he talked about refunding VAT, aspects about fraud and anti-fraud and Romania’s accession to the Schengen Area.

He has reached a compromise concerning the reverse charge of VAT in Romania.


Translated by: Iris Butnariu and Andreea Velicu
MA Students, MTTLC, Bucharest University