Law in the works to clear tax case backlog
Legislation that would speed up the process by which tax cases are heard in court is being drawn up by the government as it attempts to meet the troika?s demands to clear a large backlog, it emerged on Wednesday.
There are currently some 186,000 tax cases outstanding and the troika has asked for this number to be reduced substantially by next year. Justice Minister Antonis Roupakiotis said on Wednesday that the legislation being prepared foresaw cases involving amounts exceeding 150,000 euros being cleared up within a few months.
Roupakiotis also said that a new law clamping down on corruption in the public sector would also apply. Employees within the narrow and broader public sector who are accused of graft would face a disciplinary committee that would have to issue its verdict within four months of the alleged offense being committed. Apart from possible loss of employment, those found guilty would have to pay a fine 50 times as large as the amount of the bribe they accepted.
