Bucharest Mayor Firea accuses Orban gov't of extending preferential tax treatment

Bucharest City Mayor Gabriela Firea claims the Orban government would have granted tax incentives "only to certain privately-owned companies, not to the whole business environment," as only chosen business people were elected for that. The statement comes after Prime Minister Ludovic Orban's statement on Sunday to the Hotnews news portal on whether or not they will be taxing IT people that equal tax treatment of all citizens and companies is an objective of the current government. "Let the IT people find out what a right-leaning government is preparing them for! When a left-leaning government would extend incentives there was complete silence. It was normal, even banal! And, yes, we also want equal treatment for all citizens and businesses, as well as legality. But for Mr Orban, this is only a cliché, because the Government has only granted tax measures and incentives to certain privately-owned companies, not to the whole business community. Only handpicked business people are being positively discriminated who are offered exemptions and agreements. National Liberal Party (PNL) sponsors are promoted to key positions. What is the reaction of the true Romanian and foreign entrepreneurs? Those who are waiting for a non-discriminatory treatment by the government? Silence!" Firea said Monday in a Facebook post. "The impoverishment of pensioners and employees translates into freezing consumption habits. This is directly reflected in the decrease in profit and thus the compression of the economy. Sadly, I have to say that we have a government unable to manage the country. Apart from loans - which reached over 20 billions lei in two and a half months - nothing is encouraging anymore. Wait! Let's have early elections. So that they may take the vote of Romanians, by manipulation, and then implement their whole austerity plan. PNL - your name is crisis. Crisis and austerity!".AGERPRES(RO - author: Catalin Alexandru, editor: Claudia Stanescu; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Maria Voican)