“Proposing only ways that are passed on to every citizen through consumption taxes is completely unacceptable and unfair, to say the least. Last year’s tax reform initiatives, which talked about progressivity, where high income earners could contribute more in solidarity, have gone down in history somewhere,” said Inga Ruginienė, leader of the confederation, following a meeting in the Government on Monday.
She said that Lithuania has already reached the average value-added tax (VAT) in the European Union.
“We believe that business could contribute in solidarity with a higher corporate tax and that we could finally return in solidarity to a tax reform with real progressivity,” Rugienienė said.
Meanwhile, the president of the Lithuanian Business Confederation proposes to introduce a universal defence tax.
Soon it will be two years since discussions about a defence tax started in the business community, according to him.
“This is the case in Cyprus and the business community understands that we will not go anywhere in the event of a threat because we do business here. We support the introduction of a defence tax model based on universality,” Andrius Romanovskis said.
“Defence concerns everybody and businesses are ready to contribute to financing defence. The need and lack of finance is obvious and it is a great shame that we have only now started talking about it,” he added.
Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė on Monday convened a meeting of political parties, business associations and trade unions to discuss sustainable defence funding sources.