Romania risks European Commission (EC) sanctions because of the way the Ministry of Finance will calculate the excises next year, digi24.ro informs. PDL Member of the European Parliament Sebastian Bodu, former head of National Agency of Fiscal Administration (ANAF), filed a complaint in this respect.
The excises level is to be posted in RON starting next year, according to the Fiscal Code, and calculated at an artificially exchange rate by more than 6 percent higher than the real one RON 4.74/EUR. Another complaint was lodged to the Ombudsman. The calculated rate of excises influences fuel prices, electricity, alcohol, tobacco, coffee and luxury products.
The excises level will be adjusted each year in September in line with the inflation rate.
From 1 January, a full tank of fuel should be cheaper by almost one and a half euro. PM Victor Ponta Gov’t should have taken into account the fact that the European currency, depending on which the duty is calculated, depreciated by 7 percent against RON. Instead, the government chose to maintain the 2014 reference, one that allows the authorities to collect more money from excises. This is a decision that break the law, experts say.
This new calculation formula comes in order to prevent the fluctuation of budgetary revenues coming from the RON/EUR exchange rates set by the European Central Bank (ECB) on October 1 each year, as well as for maintaining the real value of these revenues and for the predictability needed for the state budget and for the business environment, the Finance Ministry informs.