Minister of Finance: Border tax evasion classified as national security matter

Ioana Erdei 07/08/2018 | 12:42

Tax evasion happening at Romanian borders was voted as a national security matter in the last Supreme Council of National Defense meeting, according to Eugen Teodorovici, the minister of Finance. The minister said special scanners will be bought by the end of the year and every truck bringing merchandise into the country will be fully scanned. Border points will also be upgraded following to the Polish model.

“The government has already approved two decisions and a third one will be approved soon, allowing the ministry of Finance to upgrade and buy the scanners without going through the bureaucracy of public acquisitions. We have already talked to companies selling these kinds of scanners. We’ve also asked the Polish minister of Finance to send us their model of upgraded border points. I will personally visit all border points to make sure things are in order. We hope to finish all acquisitions by the end of this year,” Teodorovici stated.

Romania has the longest non-EU border and none of the 15 scanners bought in the past are working. The situation is well known by authorities, who promise measures and extra budget revenues of EUR 1 billion for stopping illegal trade.