IMF report praises gov’t efforts
An International Monetary Fund report delivered to the government this week is for the first time pointing to a change to the negative climate the country has experienced in the last three years, referring to the implementation of commitments regarding the tax administration and collection mechanisms and the independence of the new General Secretariat for Revenues.
The report delivered by the IMF technocrats to the Finance Ministry praises the actions that are unfolding or completed such as the creation of a special agency for tax monitoring that intends to inspect wealthy taxpayers and the set-up of a Large Enterprise Monitoring Center.
This comes in the same week as the green light by the Euro Working Group for the disbursement of the March bailout tranche, amounting to 2.8 billion euros, on Monday and the improved forecast for the course of Greek economy this year by the European Commission that on Friday revised the Greek recession for 2013 from 4.4 percent of gross domestic product to 4.2 percent, with a 0.6 percent rebound expected next year.
However, the IMF report further stresses the need for the intensification of checks on certain categories of taxpayers, particularly of those with great wealth and of the self-employed.
It also states that the revision of the property values used for tax purposes will have to be completed urgently.
