“The Moldovan authorities should reconsider their policy of food stamps,” according to the sociological research, the results of which were presented on Tuesday at a press conference in the news agency INFOTAG. The research was carried out by IData company at the request of Chamber of Commerce and Industry of France-Moldova (CCIFM), Romanian Investors Association and American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) of Moldova.    

According to the study, after implementation in April 2018 and through the end of 2019, 714 companies provided food stamps to their employees. However, after the implementation of the voucher tax (24%) since the beginning of 2020, the situation worsened. As of April 2023, 549 companies were providing food stamps.       

After the tax was introduced, small and medium-sized businesses gave up on vouchers first, and the number of beneficiaries among employees dropped by 40%. While, according to the survey, about 120,000 workers would be using food stamps now if not for the tax.                  

According to 76% of workers surveyed, food stamps represented a specific pay raise for them. And the imposition of the tax negatively affected 67% of workers.                  

Among the conclusions of the study notes that the voucher market has not recovered after the introduction of the tax - the number of companies: using this tool has decreased, as well as the number of beneficiaries among employees. At the same time, the indirect taxes bring in to the budget 23 bani per coupons and most companies advocate, if not abolishing this tax, then at least reducing it to 12%.         

The representative of AmCham in Moldova, Mihai Burunciuc, stated that this tool was implemented in order to attract new investors and to stimulate the existing ones, which will contribute to economic growth.  He believes that if the authorities cancel the tax on coupons, it will automatically increase budget revenues through indirect taxes.        

He also stressed that AmCham has repeatedly approached the government and insisted that the tax be repealed, including when drafting next year's fiscal policy, a draft of which is now in parliament for public consultation.          

"The food stamp instrument is fully in line with the authorities' policy of confronting the shadow economy and reducing cash turnover in the economy. But unfortunately, so far there has been stagnation in addressing the issue of food stamps. We, together with business associations, are constantly trying to stimulate the resolution of the issue, but each time, sometimes subjectively the opposite position of the Ministry of Finance appears," Burunciuc noted.          

In total, from April 2018 to April 2023, 1.48 billion lei worth of food stamps were provided.         

The survey was conducted among 205 companies (55% of which currently provide vouchers), and 108 employees who use vouchers.