CHANGES ON DUTY-FREE ARE NOT CONNECTED WITH TRANSNISTRIA – MINISTRY

The amendments, proposed by the Government in the anti-crisis package and raised a lot of questions among experts, which concern the activity of duty-free shops, are no way connected with the Transnistrian region and are directed to preventing double taxation for domestic producers.

Deputy Premier, Minister of Finance Sergiu Puscuta said at the Friday’s briefing that in the proposed amendments there is not a word about the Transnistrian region and all the statements about this are at least incorrect.

Puscuta stressed that measures do not imply cardinal changing of amendments, adopted back in October 2019.

“However, currently the domestic producer in case of supplying goods to a duty-free shop, is paying excise taxes. Besides, at selling the product is taxed again. Thus, there is double taxation, which makes the local goods absolutely uncompetitive against those imported. The measures, proposed by the Government are aimed at correcting this situation”, he explained.

Also, Puscuta responded to the criticism of amendments to the law on tobacco products.

“The adopted measures imply just the raising of the deadline for re-equipping the places of tobacco product selling in food shops [according to the law, such places should be equipped with special closed cupboards and it should be done until May 1]”, he said.