Presentation of MP Stathis Konstantinidis in the Plenary Session of the Parliament at the S / N of the Ministry of Finance "Restriction of smuggling-Ratification of the Protocol for the elimination of the illegal tobacco trade, provisions on public property and scholastic inheritances, provisions on road tax and registration tax, incentives to attract tax residents "
We are discussing a bill today to tackle smuggling, a timeless problem that unfortunately still remains relevant. We are called, therefore, to tackle this kind of delinquency more effectively, which disrupts basic functions of socio-economic life and does not allow the country to develop all its dynamics. And it really is, if we consider how much revenue is lost annually from fuel smuggling, drinks, tobacco products, coffee, drugs, food and other products.
Rightly so, I think so, reserved for the real amount of smuggling the rapporteur of the majority. Is not doubted, Nevertheless, by anyone that its turnover amounts to hundreds of millions of euros. Sizes, money, που λείπουν από την εθνική οικονομία, damage fiscal stability and cause huge market distortions, to competition and ultimately resentment to honest professionals and society.
So smuggling is a field in which the country has not done as well as we would like, despite the occasional ambitious efforts. And it makes sense, when for decades the persecution system operated in an anachronistic context while lagging behind in resources, in, in technological equipment, at a time when crime on the other hand had cutting-edge tools.
And, after all, as long as the state could not stop the illegal activity, so imposed unbearable tax and tariff burdens on the consistent, in an effort to compensate for the losses. Of course, this model always works the other way around, after giving feedback on customs evasion. The higher the charges, the stronger the motivation to resort to these practices.
Nevertheless, in addition to the economic dimension, Equally important is the threat to citizens' health, since the smuggled products are usually of unknown origin, may be adulterated, spoiled and then definitely very dangerous.
Therefore, the bill under discussion:
- answers critical questions,
- identifies malfunctions in the audit process,
- encourages and strengthens officials in their prosecution work
- equips existing structures and creates new ones where necessary, Furthermore,
- modernizes the institutional arsenal.
The settings regarding:
* with the operation of the Coordination Business Center and the electronic application made available to it,
* the creation in AADE of the database for the tradesmen who are active in the supply chain of alcoholic beverages and the identification system of these products,
* the register of storage and handling tanks of energy goods,
* strengthening the control process in petroleum and tobacco trade,
* but also the targeted interventions in the sanctioning framework,
* and finally, informing consumers about unfair practices,
are some of the essential improvements that the discussed s / n brings.
It is about, therefore, for a comprehensive smuggling intervention that creates reasonable expectations that it will serve its objectives.
It is imperative, Moreover, the ratification of the relevant Protocol, in another chapter of n / s, of the Framework Convention of the World Health Organization for Tobacco Control, as well as the harmonization of the provisions for the calculation of the registration fee and the registration fee according to the European and global method of measuring pollutant emissions.
Further, those who have been involved in inheritance management procedures, public property, and corresponding cases, they certainly understand the value and necessity of the interventions attempted, both for the people entrusted with such tasks, as well as for the optimal utilization of assets.
End, a very interesting arrangement, is that of the article 40. It seeks the acquisition of tax residence in Greece by people earning income from paid work and business activity in the country, by providing incentives. As with other related settings, Greece seeks to attract new tax residents, in order to increase its revenue . Corresponding practices are of course applied all over the world.
Ladies and gentlemen, we need to understand that economies are changing, employment conditions as well. Whether we like it or not, remote work came to stay all over the world and especially for large companies.
With the data that will be formed in the post-coronavirus era, soon we will have to attract the country with a corresponding provision and make them tax residents of, people who will be able to live here but work remotely in large companies abroad, that is, where they are already working. These are citizens who are presumably highly educated and highly paid, while attracting them will also serve the goal of brain gain .
Now, the empty verenda, in parallel with the strengthening of deterrence mechanisms, we need to reconsider the amount of Excise Tax, we have to admit that in some species it is too high, in the direction of reduction, so as not to encourage smuggling, and finally through the legalization of part of the illicit transactions to increase the state revenues.
In view, and the special conditions that arose from the pandemic, I suggest the slight extension of the scope of the article 16 ν. 4714/2020, to settle tax disputes, by an Out-of-Court Settlement Committee, with the criterion not the time of the dispute (which largely depends on the administration) but the time of performance (to this day) and the introduction of a corresponding provision for customs disputes (e.g. of non-payment of VAT), similar to tax.
Now, the communist party monotonously blames capitalism, when it is known that smuggling flourished on the streets of the former Soviet Union, even for cheap items.
Finally, given the widespread acceptance of the provisions of the bill under discussion, both in consultation and in parliamentary elaboration, εισηγούμαι την ψήφισή του.
Stathis Konstantinidis
Βουλευτής Νέας Δημοκρατίας Π.Ε. Kozani
