The patronages from the alimentary industry demand the reduction of the value added tax (VTA) for all alimentary products, in order to limit the growth of the prices for these products.
On the list demanded by the patronages are the products from pork, milk and diary products, bread, fruit and vegetables, fish, chicken meat and eggs, rice and oil.
The president of Romalimenta (Federaţia Patronală Română din Industria Alimentară), Sorin Minea, asked the government, yesterday, to apply the VTA reduction measure, considering that this is the only way to keep the food prices at the actual levels. At this time, Romania has a regular VAT of 19% in the alimentary industry, being one of the largest in the world.
In the course of this year, two legislative initiatives for the diminishing of the VAT for aliments have reached the parliament - one proposed by PSD, and the other by the Conservative Party. Both projects passed a Chamber of the parliament, but got stuck in the other. The project initiated by PSD stated the VAT reduction to 5% just for the basis aliments: meat, milk and bread. This fact started at the time a large debate, and the government rejected the possibility of a differentiated VAT.
"We can't establish that VAT is smaller just for bone meat of quality X, because, after that, in Romania will be sold only this type of meat. VAT should be reduced for the entire shelf of aliments", said Sorin Minea.
He also believes that for the reminded products sweets should be added also. "Even though these are aliments, nobody agreed on their presence on the list. Chocolate should be available only for those with money?", added Sorin Minea.