Push for parliamentary probe into VAT fraud in Poland
PR dla Zagranicy
Grzegorz Siwicki
06.04.2018 15:00
Poland’s ruling conservatives have come up with a legislative initiative for a parliamentary probe into suspected cases of value-added tax (VAT) fraud under the country’s previous government, according to reports.
Photo: Pixabay.com/Arcaion/CC0 Creative Commons
The ruling conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party has submitted a formal bill to this effect to the lower house of parliament, the PAP news agency reported on Friday, citing a tweet by a ruling party MP.
Under the bill, a special parliamentary commission would be set up to investigate the suspected irregularities, PAP reported, quoting MP Marcin Horała.
Various politicians from Poland’s ruling conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party have long argued that such a probe was needed.
A deputy finance minister was quoted as saying in October that VAT fraud under the previous government was “the biggest disease” in the country since the fall of communism in 1989.
Paweł Gruza said at the time, as quoted by the Rzeczpospolita daily, that a special probe was needed to check finance ministry politicians and officials, as well as others who had a hand in the VAT system under the Civic Platform-led government, which governed Poland from 2007 to 2015.
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who was previously finance minister, said last year that government efforts to clamp down on tax fraud and evasion were vital for Poland's future.
Morawiecki also said at the time that Poland was "in the vanguard" in the European Union in terms of preventing VAT fraud.
(gs/pk)
Source: PAP