Vladimir Martinović, the vice-president of Democratic Montenegro, at yesterday's press conference presented to the public information about who respects and who does not the Law on Reprogramming, i.e. who is allowed to accumulate tax debt without consequences and continue to operate without problems, it was reported from Democratic Montenegro. Above.
"In any serious country where there are strong institutions and respect for the rule of law, it can happen that someone avoids serving a prison sentence rather than paying taxes. But since in our country we have the will of individuals stronger than the law and institutions, then the obligations towards they bypass the state, that is, put them in the service of individuals close to this government," said Martinović.
Democratic Montenegro added that in 2016, the Law on the Reprogramming of Tax Claims was adopted, which enabled the largest tax debtors to pay the accumulated tax debt in 60 equal installments without interest, thus greatly facilitating the fulfillment of the obligations of these business entities towards the state.
As Martinović stated, what the Law on Reprogramming of Tax Claims clearly prescribes is that the taxpayer who has been approved for reprogramming of tax claims is obliged to regularly pay monthly installments in accordance with the decision on reprogramming, as well as in the period for which the concluded reprogramming of the tax claim, in addition to the debt, regularly settles current liabilities based on public revenues.
"Despite the fact that tax debtors were given the chance to pay their tax debt in 60 equal monthly installments, the largest tax debtors do not respect the contract, so the 10 largest tax debtors who do not pay installments according to the due reprogramming owe 24.5 million euros, and for the past 18 months increased the tax debt by 5.4 million euros, while the five largest tax debtors for contributions that do not respect the reprogram, increased the debt by almost 2 million euros," said Martinović.
He also said that what is of particular concern is that certain business entities that are close to the top of this government are not given a decision on the termination of the contract on reprogramming, compulsory collection or bankruptcy, which is an explicit legal obligation, that is, bankruptcy is selectively introduced in business entities for which the state knows cannot be collected.
"Thus, Dragan Brković's numerous Vectras together owe 17,8 million euros, of which 5,25 million euros are taxes and contributions and 12,4 million are tax debts. Also, three construction companies from Podgorica close to DPS (Fab live, Cijevna commerc, A-cop) in addition to all the benefits and privileges they enjoy, owe over six million euros in taxes alone. That the Reprogramming Law is almost meaningless and serves only as a cover for keeping the DPS vote factories alive is confirmed by the fact that "The tax debt has increased since the introduction of the reprogram. In truth, even legal entities that are not in the reprogram have increased their tax debt by five million euros," said the vice-president of the Democrats.
He said that although the Tax Administration and the Government of Montenegro are very proud of the increase in tax collection, it must be pointed out that it is mostly collected from small businesses and entrepreneurs, and that the figures clearly indicate that companies close to the top of the government are being protected.
The government's favourites, as Martinović said, not only do not suffer the consequences for not complying with their obligations under the tax debt reprogram, but a significant number of them are, at the same time, beneficiaries of very favorable and high loans granted to them by the IRF. Thus, even though they are big tax debtors and do not respect their obligations from the tax debt reprogram, the following received IRF loans: "Plantaže" 3,5 million euros, "Fab live" million euros, "Utip" Žarko Burić million euros, etc.
"The damage caused to the state is multiple. On the one hand, we have non-payment of taxes to the state, which is increasing, and on the other, non-payment of taxes and contributions directly attacks the rights of employees from work and on the basis of work, including the impossibility of using rights based on health insurance, as well as the impossibility of retiring due to unpaid taxes for PIO. If an entrepreneur or a small company that is not connected to the top of this government does not pay taxes, i.e. is not in a DPS apartment for life support, their account is blocked after a few months or bankruptcy is introduced, which unequivocally indicates that the law is not equal and the same for everyone, Martinović announced.
He stated that, for the sake of comparison, if a citizen of Montenegro signs a protocol for paying the debt for the consumed electricity, in case of non-compliance with the contract, the contract is terminated and the same remains without electricity.
"The question arises as to how citizens have to pay bills of only a few hundred euros, while the biggest tax debtors, with impunity, owe several million euros to the state and its citizens. Are these not examples of selective justice in our country, which is not allowed under the Constitution of Montenegro?" he concluded. is Martinović.
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