Budapest: Minister of Finance: "I consider the fight against tax evasion to be crucial."

Last update: 30.09.2021 17:20

On Thursday, at the invitation of his Hungarian counterpart Mihály Varga, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Igor Matovič attended a ministerial meeting of the V4 countries in Budapest. The finance ministers of Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland concluded their meeting by signing a joint declaration reaffirming cooperation in key areas of the economy and the economy.

Over an informal lunch, ministers discussed current and important topics, such as the recovery of our economies, the implementation of Recovery and Resilience Plans, and the fight against the third wave of the pandemic.

"We have survived the crisis together with our fraternal countries and we are living it better. This also proves that the V4 group makes sense, "said Minister of Finance Igor Matovič.

"In the future, we do not have to be just those who look to the original member states of the European Union, but Western countries can, on the contrary, look to us. The numbers will not let go and the economic results of our countries are clear. ”The Deputy Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic also emphasized at the meeting the importance of taking a responsible approach to the expected reform of EU budget rules and simplifying and streamlining their implementation.

Ministers jointly highlighted the positive experience of cross-border cooperation in the field of taxation and customs, which contributes to the effective fight against VAT fraud. Slovakia also supported EU initiatives for joint efforts to combat money laundering, tax fraud and evasion.

"Our government's priority is to fight corruption. I consider initiatives at EU level to be key in this area, "said Finance Minister Igor Matovic during his speech in Budapest.

On climate policy, ministers discussed the Commission's FitFor package55, with particular emphasis on the expected change in the taxation of energy products and the introduction of a so-called carbon duty at the EU's borders. According to the Minister of Finance Igor Matovič, it is also important to ensure that these changes do not affect the most vulnerable households. It is also important for Slovakia to include nuclear and gas among sustainable energy sources, especially with regard to our energy mix.

Ministry of Finance of the SR