Claudiu Năsui: "Limiting cash payments is not about combating evasion or corruption, but about control"

The limitation of cash payments is not a measure to combat tax evasion or corruption, given that a number of Western countries have not imposed such limitations, but have a better collection of taxes and fees than Romania, he stated, on the page Facebook official, deputy Claudiu Năsui (USR), former Minister of Economy in the Cîţu government.

Claudiu Năsui said: "Limiting freedom does not mean being civilized. Germany, Estonia, Austria, Cyprus, Sweden, Holland, Hungary, Ireland, Malta, Luxembourg, England have no limit to cash payment. All these countries not only let their citizens choose how they want to use their money, but also have less evasion than Romania. Limiting cash payments is not about fighting evasion or corruption. And now they are limited to 10,000 lei per transaction and we still have evasion and corruption. It's about control."

The former Minister of the Economy shows that there are good arguments in favor of paying by card, just as there are also in favor of paying in cash, but that a person has the right to choose how he spends his money.

Mr. Năsui specified: "If you are against the ban on cash, you are with GOLD. If you are for it, you are with PSD. Whichever side of the debate you are on, don't be manipulated by tribal thinkers. There are good pro-card arguments, just as there are good pro-cash arguments. There are no good arguments for banning/imposing one or the other. It's your money, earned by you, you have the right to spend it however you want".

We remind you that Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu declared in the middle of last week that the measure to limit cash payment for natural persons, which is contained in the law amending the Fiscal Code assumed in Parliament, is aimed at combating tax evasion, but not the prohibition of cash. Asked by journalists what he thinks about the intention of the liberals to renegotiate the measure limiting cash payments, the head of the Government said that the proposal came from experts and does not represent a personal initiative. He called for an "honest approach" and added that no one wants to take cash out of the market. According to him, our country has the "biggest tax evasion" in the European Union, representing 10% of GDP and totaling 160 billion lei.

Marcel Ciolacu stated: "Don't you have cash? Really, I don't have that money-making jacket, but I have money in the car so it doesn't happen again... Has anyone banned cash? It means that in one place you cannot spend more than 5,000 lei as a natural person. I assume that it is a measure to combat evasion, discussed not by political leaders, that we are not experts in combating tax evasion. (...) Does anyone have 5,000 lei with them now? I do not have. To spend 5,000 lei in one place is a misfortune. You can spend 5,000 lei in ten places. So, 50,000 you can spend from one street corner to the other street corner. (...) You don't have me as a client in this game. A hypocritical game, speculated by certain politicians, which has nothing to do with the truth".

Also in the middle of last week, the deputy George Simion, the president of the AUR, announced the start of the steps for two referendums aimed at the family between a man and a woman, respectively cash payments. The leader of the AUR mentioned that both referendums can be organized on the same day and said regarding cash payments: "An initiative group will be set up at the notary, according to the law, collecting signatures for cash payments, for the introduction of payments into the Constitution with cash. I have also seen in other countries that this happens, in Austria, in Switzerland".

According to the law adopted in Parliament at the end of last month, cash receipts and cash payments between legal entities, authorized natural persons, and natural persons carrying out activities independently, are carried out within the daily limit of 5,000 lei to/ from one person, until December 31, 2024 and 2,500 lei, starting from January 1, 2025. Failure to comply with this provision will be penalized with 25% of the amount received or paid, which exceeds the established ceiling, but not less than 500 lei .

We mention that the normative act assumed in Parliament by the Ciolacu government was contested at the Constitutional Court, which will debate this case in the meeting on Wednesday, October 18.