Before the start of the debate on the draft tax reform, the business sector is looking for answers to four questions that were announced today by the president of the Chamber of Commerce of North Macedonia, Branko Azeski.

An answer is requested from the Government on how far the procedures for the borrowing through the Eurobond and the credit line from the International Monetary Fund are and what about the requests and proposals from the Macedonian Energy Association. In the section on tax reforms, the Chamber believes that there should be precise terms and conditions to which the state will commit itself for better services to the private sector, for the abolition of parafiscal duties and for the reduction of the gray economy.

- These days, the draft concept for tax reforms arrived in the Chamber, which should be the basis for a public debate in the coming period. A little strange, because I expected discussions about our proposals on the number one problem, which is the cost of electricity. Naturally, until the draft concept for tax reforms arrived, I also exchanged opinions with the responsible people in the Chamber, who, as agreed, asked me four questions. Appreciating that those questions are of essential importance, before the discussion started I decided to publicly present them, because the proposer himself advocates transparency in this discussion. In addition to them, the initial reactions also referred to the issues of tax evasion and what is being done in that regard, suggesting to first use internal opportunities before opening the discussion, which comes at an extremely difficult moment for business, says Azeski in an open letter to the public.

MEA's proposals for a way out of the energy crisis, as Azeski states, were intended for companies and require an immediate and decisive reaction of economic policy makers to save the real sector.

- Isn't it normal in the draft concept for tax reforms to also foresee precise terms and conditions to which the state will commit to offer better quality services to the private sector; deadlines for the digitization of its processes, for the abolition of parafiscal duties, as well as for the reduction of the gray economy and corruption? That is, the business expects an offer of a ping-pong solution, which means that before the state decides to increase taxes, it has to prove to the taxpayers that it is efficient, effective, transparent and that it offers quality services, Azeski states.

The state, Azeski adds, needs a framework economic agreement, for which the Assembly of the Chamber calls for consensus and support from all entities in the state for its implementation as soon as possible.