Public Revenue Office (PRO) will continue the ongoing modernization project by at least one year, focusing on the percentage of electronic compliance with small- and medium- sized companies, application of forced collection strategy, introduction of bonus system for employees and opening of Tax Academy.
 
This was announced Monday by PRO Director Goran Trajkovski, at the press conference also attended by Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Zoran Stavreski and Dutch Ambassador Simone Filippini, whose native country invested US$ four million in PRO reforms in the past four years.
 
– The 230 largest taxpayers in Macedonia, are in full electronic compliance with PRO, while as regards the small percentage of electronic compliance at small- and medium-sized enterprises, of four to five percents, without integrated collection, we would like to be able to reach 20 percents electronic services in the first six months, on the basis of all legal changes adopted this year, which are to be implemented starting 1st January next year, Trajkovski said. If PRO achieves this goal, as it announced, it will request the Ministry of Finance to implement whole package of legal changes that will provide for tax records to be mainly electronic ones.
 
According to Trajkovski, forced collection strategy is also a target for next year, mainly due to the new competences PRO was assigned at the end of the year, pertaining to acting upon all cases of the State Attorney General Office, in particular taking into account that, starting next year, they will also administer and collect the broadcasting fee.
 
PRO will also introduce bonus system for awarding the employees, who, through mutual competition, in addition to the basic salary and depending on the work done, will be appropriately awarded. As Trajkovski pointed out, PRO should additionally improve the Reform Project, by establishing its own training center in the form of regional Tax Academy.
 
According to Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Zoran Stavreski, in the past four years, PRO, with the assistance from the Dutch Government, was modernized, achieving great results. As he pointed out, increased number of registered taxpayers by 16 percents, increased collection of taxes, despite the reduction of rate of all taxes speak in favour thereof.
 
– In the period January-November this year, around Denar 60 billion was collected in the Budget on the basis of tax revenues, i.e. by 3 percents more than the collected taxes in the same period last year, and by 23 percents more than the same period in 2006. As for VAT, these figures were even more evident in the first 11 months of this year, Denar 34 billion was collected on the basis of VAT, being by 8 percents more than the same period in 2009, and by 40 percents more than in 2006, Stavreski said.
 
VAT, as he added, is the most representative tax, thus showing that PRO does its work well, and as a result, taxpayers more often pay their liabilities towards the state.
 
Results from PRO reforms, as Stavreski pointed out, are also underpinned by the high level of contentment with PRO operations, presented in the surveys carried out at the taxpayers. They have PRO as their partner, enabling them to better settle their liabilities, since they have available, quality team meeting them half way, Stavreski said, adding that the international financial organizations also verified PRO performance. Macedonia takes the 5th position worldwide in the most representative analysis for the conditions for paying taxes of World Bank Doing Business, Stavreski underlined. He said that budget revenues, in relation to the projections, are at the level planned under the Supplementary Budget.
 
– We expect to end this year by collecting revenues approximately to the level envisaged under the Supplementary Budget, being quite satisfying, taking into account the general circumstances in Europe and worldwide, Vice Prime Minister said.
 
Ambassador Filippini assessed that PRO reforms contributed to reducing the compliance costs for taxpayers, lower administrative costs for the Government and bringing tax services closer to tax liabilities. The most important achievement, according to her, are the investments in PRO staff resources. Complete upturn was achieved in the thinking of tax officers, who became more professional, acquiring more knowledge for all procedures and tax problems, Ambassador said.
 
When asked about the case related to the investigation of the companies seated at Pero Nakov Street, b.b PRO Director said that he sticks to his stand that PRO will present all detailed observations and will inform the public about the developments by the end of the month. I believe we are on the right track and we are satisfied with the quality of the materials. It is a matter of large number of companies and the long period to be analyzed, and the deadline end of December to present information is really ambitious – Trajkovski pointed out.(MIA)
