Croatian Finance Minister to go after those taking millions out of Croatia.
SDP’s finance minister Boris Lalovac said yesterday at a party rally in Makarska that all those who have made money in Croatia, took it out of the country and did not pay taxes will answer for it, and that SDP is bringing order and fighting against social inequalities. “Those of you who hold millions and millions abroad, for which you have not paid taxes, you will be held responsible. SDP will see that the justice is carried out. The only guarantee that there will be no inequality in the future are us, the red SDP members”, said Lalovac at a party rally on Saturday night in Makarska, reports Slobodna Dalmacija on October 4, 2015.
Many citizens do not even have 5,000 kuna in their wallets, while “50,000 people have 75 billion kuna in Croatian banks”, he said. “Such inequality was created by agents of the banks and former HDZ government because it was lenient towards them”, he said and added that four years ago “the reds have returned to power and are here to correct all the inequalities”.
“We are here to introduce order, not just because of these 50,000 citizens who hold 75 billion kuna, but also to see for the first time who is holding money in other countries and who are the patriots who took out a large part of their money abroad”, he said. The question is how they have earned that money, through work or through privatization process. “Therefore, we have said to them you have to give explanation to the Croatian people. Regardless of their personal threats, because threats do not concern us, we are only interested for those people to pay taxes if the money was earned in Croatia”, said Lalovac. He added that he heard rumors that “these people” are trying to organize bankers and right parties to “help HDZ take power” and are even opening accounts in order to finance the campaign.
“But, I am telling them, you must first explain yourselves to the Croatian people, and if you have paid the taxes, that’s fine, but if you have not paid the taxes you will have to answer”, said Lalovac. “We have to fight to solve the housing issues for all citizens, and not to listen to bankers who say, even in a letter sent to the government: if you do not accept our proposals, we will begin evicting people from their apartments. Our message is: do it to the Austrian finance minister, but you will not do it to the Croatian minister”, said Lalovac whose speech was repeatedly interrupted by applause.
Certain that SDP will win the forthcoming elections, member of the SDP Presidency and deputy prime minister Branko Grčić announced the future reduction of value-added tax on certain key agricultural products, such as strawberries from Vrgorac and mandarin oranges from Opuzen.
