Chisinau Introduces Fuel Taxes in Transnistria

Companies from the Transnistrian region that import petroleum products such as petrol and diesel fuel will have to pay taxes to the budget of the Republic of Moldova. This is part of a gradual process of tax harmonization between the two banks of the Dniester, said Valeriu Civeri, head of the Bureau for Reintegration Policy, according to bani.md. According to the Deputy Prime Minister, the Chisinau authorities are seeking to create a single economic, tax and customs area, and the introduction of taxes on certain imported goods from the left bank of the Dniester is part of this process. In this context, companies in the region that import energy resources, including petrol and diesel fuel, have already been notified of the need to pay energy efficiency tax. “When we talk about 1 July as a benchmark for starting the process of accumulating taxes – VAT, excise duties and other levies – we are not talking about applying these measures overnight. It will be a gradual process,” said Valeriu Civeri. According to him, the authorities do not want to provoke an economic or humanitarian shock in the region, so the introduction of new tax rules will be gradual and may take up to three years. Civeri clarified that the aim of these measures is to level the playing field for companies on both sides of the Dniester, including in terms of import and export operations. The taxes collected – including VAT, excise duties, customs duties and energy efficiency tax – will be transferred to the Convergence Fund, which is to finance social and infrastructure projects.