The draft fiscal policy document for 2015 suggests restoring the VAT of 20% on all the agricultural products, except for fruit, vegetables and walnuts, from May 1. Alexandru Slusari, chairman of the Union of Agricultural Producers Associations UniAgroProtect, has told IPN that this change would be the last drop for farmers, who already experience more problems that they can bear.

Alexandru Slusari reminded that in the meeting of Prime Minister Chiril Gaburici and farmers last week, Minister of Finance Anatol Arapu said the VAT in agriculture will not be modified. “What the minister of finance said last Friday was either manipulation or he does not know what the ministry he heads does, or it was a crass lie,” he stated.

According to Alexandru Slusari, this change will increase the fiscal burden borne by farmers and most of these will go bankrupt in a year or two. The farmers are to decide the next steps in a meeting of national farmers organizations on March 17.

On January 1, 2014, the VAT of 20% in agriculture was decreased to 8%.