Vasile Tofan
According to the prime minister, in just a few days, 55 requests from entrepreneurs were received through the controale.gov.md platform, “and they continue to come in.”
Vasile Tofan noted that the top priority at this stage is to support local entrepreneurs—those who are already investing and developing businesses in the Republic of Moldova.
“We must first and foremost support the people who have already invested in Moldova, believe in Moldova, and are trying to make a difference here by addressing the challenges faced by our local entrepreneurs,” the prime minister stated.
High Demands on Small Businesses
One example cited by the prime minister was the situation of a small company in Florești that repairs computer equipment. The company employs only three people, yet the requirements imposed on it, according to the entrepreneur, are comparable to those for enterprises with hundreds or thousands of employees.
Vasile Tofan emphasized that the entrepreneur is not calling for the abolition of occupational safety regulations, but merely insists on their proportionate application.
“Right now, they’re being held to the same standards as companies with 100 or 1,000 employees. I consider this unfair. It seems to me that this is a matter of common sense,” the prime minister noted.
Advertising tax rose from 5% to 80% of revenue
Another case involves a company from Criuleni, which reported a sharp increase in the local advertising tax—from 5% to 80% of sales revenue.
“Economic activity in which 80% of revenue, without deducting operating expenses, is withheld as a local tax is mathematically and economically impossible,” the prime minister quoted the entrepreneur as saying.
Vasile Tofan stated that this case needs to be investigated, but acknowledged that the situation raises serious questions.
Entrepreneurs Advocate for More Effective Inspections
The prime minister also described the case of a wine producer who does not call for the abolition of inspections but proposes making them more efficient and digitized.
According to Tofan, the entrepreneur suggested that the same data be provided to the government only once, since information from invoices, certificates, and electronic systems is often manually transferred to various registries.
“Digital format by default; paper only when it’s truly necessary,” the prime minister quoted.
A ship was stranded in Giurgiulești
Vasile Tofan also drew attention to the situation at the International Port of Giurgiulești, where a ship carrying more than 3,000 metric tons of metal products was unable to continue its journey due to a 15-centimeter difference between the ship’s draft and the water depth.
“The situation remains completely deadlocked, yet no agency is taking responsibility,” the prime minister quoted from the entrepreneur’s letter.
According to him, products worth about 40 million lei are stranded on the ship, and the state is losing out on about 6.6 million lei in VAT.
Problems with Anti-Money Laundering Requirements
Business owners also reported difficulties related to the short deadlines for submitting information to the Service for the Prevention and Combating of Money Laundering.
“No one disputes the importance of combating money laundering, but for complex requests, the deadlines must be realistic,” said Vasile Tofan.
He also noted the need to simplify procedures for members of the diaspora who transfer or bring money into the Republic of Moldova.
Criticism of Retroactive Fines
The prime minister cited the example of a company that, after three years during which the Customs Service had accepted the same classification of goods, was hit with additional obligations totaling 343,000 lei, including 76,000 lei in penalties.
“If a person complied with the law at the time, you cannot tell them three years later that they must be punished for what they did back then,” the prime minister stated.
A Tax Audit Resulting in Nearly 2 Million Lei for a Small Company
The latest example cited by Vasile Tofan concerns a company that grew from two to more than 25 employees. Following a tax audit, it was assessed approximately 900,000 lei in additional VAT. Together with fines and penalties, the total exceeded 2 million lei.
Following an appeal, the Tax Service reviewed the amount and reduced the liability to 187,000 lei.
The prime minister emphasized that such situations must be analyzed so that entrepreneurs can focus on developing their businesses rather than on complicated dealings with government agencies.
“If we want to restart the economy, these entrepreneurs’ energy should be directed toward finding new markets and growing their businesses, rather than constantly resolving issues in their dealings with the government,” said Vasile Tofan.
