Veaceslav Ionita criticized the tax policy for 2027: “Tax policy should stimulate investment, not just fill the budget.”
The IDIS Viitorul economic expert made this statement while presenting the business community’s proposals for improving the tax reform outlined in next year’s draft budget and tax policy. The expert believes that the effectiveness of the reform should be assessed not by the amount of additional budget revenue next year, but by its ability to attract investment, create jobs, stimulate exports, and foster long-term economic development. Veaceslav Ionita considers an increase in VAT on medicines unacceptable, calling such a measure a “tax on illness”: increasing the tax burden on medicines will lead to delayed treatment, an increase in complications, higher costs for the National Health Insurance Company and hospitals, and an increase in poverty. The expert also spoke out against a one-size-fits-all approach to taxing various goods and industries. He proposed harmonizing excise tax policy for all nicotine products, including heated tobacco products and nicotine pouches, which are currently subject to virtually no taxes. According to Veaceslav Ionita’s estimates, this would increase budget revenues without placing an additional excise tax burden on traditional tobacco products, which are already taxed at fairly high rates. The economist criticized plans to eliminate tax breaks for spouses, children, and dependents, noting that a family with two children could lose between 2,376 and 4,752 lei per year. Against the backdrop of a demographic crisis, low birth rates, and emigration, such measures, in his view, contradict the government’s policy of supporting families. In addition, the expert called for maintaining the principle of VAT neutrality by not extending the tax burden to business investments, including vehicles used in business operations. For the housing market, he proposed maintaining preferential tax treatment for the purchase of a first home—applying a reduced or zero VAT rate—as well as indexing the purchase price of real estate to the inflation rate when calculating capital gains tax, taking into account costs for modernization and energy efficiency, and to reduce taxation for long-term property ownership. Veaceslav Ionita also believes that a special tax regime is necessary for sectors of high social and economic importance. For example, the HoReCa sector exports services, contributes to the development of tourism, agriculture, and regional growth, and an increase in VAT would reduce Moldova’s competitiveness compared to neighboring countries. The expert believes a similar approach should be applied to agriculture, where tax mechanisms must account for the seasonality of production, stimulate investment in irrigation, protection against climate risks, and the development of renewable energy. According to Veaceslav Ionita, tax policy should serve as a tool for stimulating economic growth, capital accumulation, export development, and the digitalization of the economy, while ensuring the predictability of tax policy and a strong partnership between the state and the business community. //26.06.2026 – InfoMarket.
