The National Association of Travel Agencies in Romania (ANAT) has slammed the Labour Minister’s latest decision to replace the holiday vouchers with money bonuses. ANAT President Alin Burcea told a press conference on Thursday that the move will lead to tax evasion, as no one will be able to check 1.2 million expense accounts, while the money will not get to tourism.
The provision on the holiday vouchers for the state employees in the public salary law (estimated at 1.2 million) was supposed to come into force as of July 1.
However, two days ago, Labour Minister Olguta Vasilescu announced that the holiday and meal vouchers for the state employees will be granted in money as of early next year.
“The Labour Committee amended the public salary law on the holiday vouchers and this amendment is disadvantaging us. As of 2018, the holiday vouchers, for which we have fought 3-4 years, will be replaced by money. In my opinion, it’s a total contempt and a total lack of respect of the Labour minister against us, the tourism representatives. We have been trying for years to enforce this project and minister Vasilescu is blowing it up by turning the vouchers into money. Her action is also in contempt for her colleague, the Tourism minister, who is struggling to pass the amendment that would allow state employees to get holiday vouchers worth RON 1,450 per person,” Burcea said.
According to the ANAT head, no one could check what the people will do with the money, as “they will certainly not use them for tourism”. Burcea argued that this way tax evasion would bloom.