Doors: IGF puts “serious questions” about the taxman – TVI24

The deputy prime minister, Paulo Portas, has no doubt that the Inspection General’s report of Finance , released Tuesday points to “serious questions” about the operation of the Treasury and who manipulates the data of Portuguese taxpayers.

“(…) The report raises serious questions about the functioning of the TA. Serious questions as to internal users and serious questions as to external users. All these materials must be subject to strong regulation and prevention of abuse and guarantee to taxpayers, all and each one of them, that their rights are protected “

The number two Government made the remarks on the sidelines of the Conference “Portuguese: Opportunities language”, organized as part of the 150th anniversary of the Daily News, in which he participated.

According Doors “in the same way, external users working with AT should be strictly regulated and this possibility should be limited to essential functions.” “It is clear that tax officials dealing with the data of taxpayers to fulfill their service, but legality is one thing, curiosity is another” found.

In view of what happened, it encourages “strongly the government’s decision, deal with problems in the area of ​​the rights of taxpayers, protection of tax secrecy and equality among taxpayers.” “I encourage strongly that there is a change in attitude, because these problems have dragged on for many years, several governments and there can be in their own cultures state organizations that are on the margins of legality or reasonableness,” he added.

The IGF report recommends the establishment of disciplinary procedures against the officers involved in the creation of so-called VIP list.

The conclusions of the investigation by the IGF to the work of the Tax Authority confirmed that existed in the tax authorities for more five months, a system that would monitor access to tax data of the President of the Republic, Cavaco Silva, Prime Minister Passos Coelho, the deputy prime minister, Paulo Portas, and the Secretary of State for Fiscal Affairs, Paulo Nuncio .

“What this report shows, in a very clear way, it is that the prime minister told the truth in the House of Assembly of the Republic and Secretary of State for Fiscal Affairs [Paul Nuncio] told truth in committee that was heard. It is important to emphasize this point, “also stressed Paulo Portas. He said:

“I admit not separate the issue of taxpayers who occupy certain positions the issue of taxpayers in general, which is why this idea of ​​the supposed VIP list was completely illegal because there is taxpayers first or second, the tax secrecy is a key issue for all and equality between taxpayers is a key issue for all, it is part of the rules of the rule of law “

Secretary of State for Fiscal Affairs, Paul Nuncio, is in line with this recommendation. Want the tax authorities examine the initiation of disciplinary proceedings to those responsible for ‘VIP list’ and to present until mid-June , a plan to protect the data of taxpayers.

President’s Tax Workers Union has responded by saying that the report of the Finance General Inspection (IGF) “is not free, not suitable.” Therefore reiterated resignation of the Secretary of State for Fiscal Affairs, Paulo Nuncio.

The Trade Union Association of Professional Inspection of the Tax and Customs (PATI) considers “unfair and unjustifiable” the generalization made by the IGF on the conduct of officials in the Treasury and requires disclosure of the report on the VIP list.

According to the association, “Transparency should not scare any institution and it is necessary to contextualize some of the conclusions it presents.”

“The need to identify and hold accountable those who so (allegedly) illegal and covert created and implemented the system ‘alarms’ in question, as well as the need for discipline the access of external entities to the tax data recorded in AT (these are public or private entities). “

” Even in the event of some behavior of an extremely small number of AT elements can It is classified as functional violations (and necessarily possible punishable), we can not allow an institution to quality and accountability of IGF complete dangerous generalizations and that seem to create an environment conducive to the installation of mechanisms to hinder the work of excellence that has been to be provided by AT and its professionals (including leaders), “reads the statement.

The association also notes that the rights of taxpayers “are defended within the AT through a tireless work and highly competent” and says surprising that the IGF report “lack of reference to the definition and implementation of good practices in the future relationship between politicians and the AT, and between AT and external public or private. ”