It is a measure that other states have already implemented to surface as much money as possible arising from the black economy. Now the recommendations are coming from the European Union
Romanian authorities have already made calculations showing that the illegal activities inclusions into the GDP could have an impact of more than 0.2% of the GDP. For comparison, the United Kingdom estimated that only prostitution and drugs have a contribution of 0.8%, while Italy's GDP would add between 1.5% and 2.4%.
Representatives of the National Institute of Statistics said that at present the GDP includes the unobserved economy, ie legal activities being developed illegally, which vary between 22% and 23% of the GDP. The estimated value by the National Institute for Statistics for 2012 related to prostitution, drug trafficking and smuggling, is equivalent to about 1.2 billion Romanian lei.
The amounts advanced by INS seem small given that, for example, the estimates on tobacco and alcohol traffic, which according to the Tax Council bring harm to the annual budget amounting to RON 2.3 billion. The exact figures will come in autumn.
It is true, however, that the state would earn more money if such activities should be stopped. And taxed accordingly.
Guest on the show "Daily Income with Adrian Măniuţiu, " journalist Ionut Balan spoke about the inclusion in the GDP of illegal activities such as prostitution, drug trafficking and smuggling.
"Including these illicit activities in the GDP shows an inability of the state to administer them and, paradoxically, these issues become strengths. It is hilarious," the journalist said.