The Confederation of Operators and Authorised Carriers in Romania (COACR) and the Employers’ Association of Hauliers Europe 2002 (EAHE 2002) who had announced their participation in today’s authorised protest in Victoriei Square in Bucharest have decided to postpone the protest after Finance Minister Dan Vîlceanu promised to solve the problem of taxation of daily allowances by mid-November.
On the other hand, two other transport organisations, the National Union of Road Hauliers in Romania (NURHR) and the Federation of Operators and Authorised Hauliers (FOAH) do not believe in the minister’s promises and continue their protest.
Basically, during the discussions Tuesday evening, Dan Vîlceanu promised hauliers a tax amnesty by mid-November, a legislative act that will be promoted in Parliament, according to a press release issued by EAHE 2002:
“The Employers’ Association of Hauliers Europe 2002 (EAHE 2002) has obtained the promise of the Minister of Finance to correct NTAA abuses against hauliers, through Parliament. Following the promise, the employers’ associations EAHE 2002 and COACR will stop protesting in Bucharest on Wednesday. To this end, a legislative proposal for the cancellation of certain tax obligations has been published, a proposal which EAHE 2002 has been assured by the Finance Minister that it has the support of the whole political spectrum and of his personal lordship. Any other course of action would have led to chain bankruptcies in the road and related transport sector (which employs over 300,000 workers) and would have led to an untimely general increase in the price of goods and services in Romania, as a result of a 15% increase in the operating costs of Romanian hauliers.” EAHE 2002 reported.
A bill proposing a tax amnesty for freight carriers was initiated by several PNL MPs, Liberal Alina Gorghiu, one of the signatories, announced on Tuesday. The announcement of the bill comes just a day before the protest scheduled for Wednesday in Victoriei Square in Bucharest, a protest authorised and organised following the dissatisfaction of employers’ associations after the Ministry of Finance, through NTAA, started taxing daily allowances retroactively for the last 5 years.
Employers’ associations from the road transportation sector are protesting on Wednesday in Victoriei Square in Bucharest after the Ministry of Finance, through the National Tax Administration Agency, did not waive the taxation of per diems, which it considers as wage income. The Municipality has authorised the protest for a maximum of 500 people and vehicles, but due to the incidence of COVID-19 cases in Bucharest, a maximum of 100 people can take part in the protest. The Traffic Brigade of the Municipality has announced traffic restrictions on the Kiseleff road, the first lane of the segment between architect Ion Mincu Street and Victoriei Square between 06.00 and 16.00: “In this context, the following traffic restrictions will be instituted:
– Victoriei Square – central alveolus, affecting the STB ramp, until the delimited perimeter is occupied;
– Șos. Kiseleff, section between Str. Arh. Ion Mincu and Piața Victoriei (lane I, without occupying pedestrian crossings and without affecting intersections, ensuring continuous traffic on Str. Arh. Ion Mincu);
– between 09.00-15.00, the public assembly will take place in the median area delimited by Bd. Aviatorilor, Șos. Kiseleff and the STB ramp, without affecting traffic on Bd. Aviatorilor to Calea Victoriei.
The crossing of the participants will be made from the median lane to the central lane in front of the traffic light on Sos. Kiseleff, under the guidance of the traffic police”, the Traffic Brigade of the Municipality said.
Edited for English