The scandal around the Port of Constanta, South East Romania continues today with officials of the state, Romanian and Asian businessmen involved in fiscal evasion with merchandise from China and Hong Kong. Over 47 million tons of merchandised passed through the Port in 2010 but fiscal evasion is the word of the day. Opposition parties claim that PDL maintains its Parliamentary majority through blackmail. Railway transports company CFR Marfa plans to lay off 3,000 positions and cut working days by 2 to reduce costs. Romanians in Spain, voted at the municipal elections.
All newspapers on Tuesday read about the scandal at the Port of Constanta, involving several politicians and businessmen in a fiscal evasion scheme. Gandul reads that 47 million tons of merchandise passes through the Port of Constanta, representing Romania’s biggest commercial exchange. Despite monthly controls the Port is the biggest evasion net in the country.
On Monday, prosecutors raided 25 houses in Constanta and Bucharest in the biggest operation against fiscal evasion in this country. Among those targeted are Democratic Liberal Senator Mircea Banias, former director of the Constanta Ports Administration and Interior Ministry general secretary Laurentiu Mironescu, who has been sacked on Monday.
Over half of the total quantity of cereals passing through the country reaches the Port of Constanta and the evasion on the market rises to 60%, experts claim. Most commonly, the merchandise arrives undervalued in the Port of Constanta and owners pay taxes account to that value.
The black economy represents about 30% of GDP which means that the state does not cash in 40 billion euro.
In the same vein, Evenimentul Zilei reads that Banias and Mironescu convinced customs chiefs in Constanta, Agigea, Slobozia and Bucharest to allow containers with smu
