State Secretary Viorel Băltărețu: “The Ministry of Economy wants to eliminate the turnover tax”

“At the Ministry of Economy, we want to demonstrate dialogue and openness and to look for solutions to the problems of the automotive industry. It is true that decisions are taken at the level of the Government, but also within various other ministries.

I have more than 25 years of management experience, I am an electronics engineer, and I want to tell you that at the Ministry of Economy there are people who understand business and understand what you do.

We, at the Ministry of Economy, do not agree with IMCA, that turnover tax, and we support within the Government the elimination of this tax. The big problem is that this tax has irritated the private sector and has not produced the effects expected by the previous Government,” stated Viorel Băltărețu, State Secretary, Ministry of Economy, during the Automotive Forum 2025 organized by Automotive Today and The Diplomat-Bucharest.

Key statements:

• We must find a solution; discussions are currently taking place, including with the other parties in the governing coalition. If we do not manage to eliminate this tax, we will look for alternative solutions, such as granting tax credits.
• We have the highest energy price in the EU, and here we must find solutions together with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Energy. I have told ACAROM representatives as well, when they came to our ministry, that I will go together with the associations to the two ministries to support you, because we are responsible for how the industry develops.
• We are looking for solutions and analyzing several mechanisms through which we can reduce the energy price for everyone—both household consumers and industry. We will have to think about industrial energy policy.
• I extend an invitation to the automotive industry, to ACAROM, to find ways to discuss the criteria you analyze when carrying out this competition for attracting investments in different countries.
• Romania must change its attitude and treat companies as partners with whom we can find solutions to increase competitiveness and attract new investments.