Tunis - The government counts to exempt the category of annual revenues from 0 to 5,000 dinars, from the personal income tax, Finance Minister Slim Chaker said.
In an interview to TAP, the Minister said that this measure which concerns presently only the category of revenues from 0 to 1,500 dinars, will be introduced as part of the finance law 2016 under elaboration in co-ordination with the different parties.
The objective sought is to reduce the tax pressure on the wage-earners notably low-income individuals.
This measure will allow an increase which will reach 500 dinars per year of their wages, he specified.
According to the Minister,"in implementation of the text of the Constitution of the Tunisian Republic, the government will present the next draft finance law to the House of the People's Representatives (HPR) before October 15, 2015 after approval of the Cabinet meeting." The draft finance law will include a revision of the customs tax and tax on consumption (for imported products) to fight against smuggling and parallel trade.
"The Finance Ministry has already started talks with the different parties to establish a final vision of these measures", the Minister specified.
The bill will devote a budget to security as part of the state's efforts in the fight against terrorism, Chaker said.
This budget concerns the Ministries of Interior and Defence as well as the customs body.
As part of the 2016 draft finance law, measures will be taken to support the sectors of youth, education and culture. For the Finance Minister, the national economy which is presently going through a recession phase, needs the establishment of procedures to boost economic growth which remains the only means of job creation and resources for the Tunisians.
The statistics of the Central Bank of Tunisia (BCT) revealed that Tunisia's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) registered, in the second quarter of 2015, a negative growth of 0.7% compared with the first quarter of 2015 (fall of 0.2%), which confirmed the entry of the economy in a phase of technical recession.
Chaker said that the objective is to establish arrangements allowing to boost the economy and resolve issues which impede the development of certain sectors especially the farming sector (milk and poultry), tourism and handicrafts as well as all other sectors, notably transport and food industries.
The Finance Ministry recorded an important advance on the level of the preparation of the modernisation project of the Tunisian customs which will be presented this month to the cabinet meeting, Chaker indicated.
As regards the tax reform, the Minister specified that in addition to gathering of texts and simplifying of measures, the Ministry plans to modernise the tax administration and grant the required interest to human resources.
The Minister underlined that his department endeavours in co-operation with the Central Bank of Tunisia (BCT), to put the last modifications on the bank law which will be discussed on the level of the cabinet meeting before being presented to the HPR.
© Tunis-Afrique Presse 2015
