Tiraspol, 10 December. /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. The offshore duty rate on import operations has been reduced from 10 to 3%. The corresponding decree was approved at today's cabinet meeting. Another governmental decree also reduces from 10 to 3% special customs rates applied the export of wheat, barley, rape, maize and sunflower seeds under contracts with offshore companies.
According to Alevtina Slinchenko, this decision proceeds from the fact that after the duty was introduced, many enterprises has moved their operations into the legal framework, whereas offshore schemes are only used by the companies which cannot directly perform foreign economic activities.
«For individual organisations this (offshore operations, ed.) is the only opportunity to import goods to Pridnestrovie under foreign economic contracts, which is why we propose to reduce this rate," said Alevtina Slinchenko in her report.
She added that a considerable majority of enterprises which are forced to employ offshore schemes are the suppliers of medical and pharmaceutical products. Imposing a 10% duty on them leads to an increase in prices in the domestic medicine market.
It is recalled that since 10 October 2015 a special 10% duty of the customs value of the goods imported through offshore companies was introduced to secure the country's economic interests. The mechanism of offshore duty collection was elaborated and introduced by governmental decrees following the president's instruction. The funds received from this duty are allocated for the payment of salaries and pensions.
