Companies with a turnover of more than €50,000,000, which will be obliged to pay the minimum turnover tax, will no longer be able to provide deductible sponsorship, as these companies are the main financiers of NGO projects, according to a statement by NGO representatives who met with by Prime Minister Cholak on Wednesday.

Funding for NGOs, and therefore the millions of beneficiaries of the services they offer, has thus been severely affected. These sponsorship funds are best spent and controlled by the sponsors themselves.

• The proposal made by the participating organizations was to abandon any provision that affects the sponsorship mechanism with all its instruments, arguing with strong figures and examples the impact of the activities of non-governmental organizations on Romanian society today.

Moreover, in recent weeks, the non-governmental sector has spoken publicly about the positive impact it is having in Romania, in areas vital to the normal functioning of healthy communities. More than 1,300 organizations have signed an open letter to the government.

The government representatives have heard the arguments, considered them valid, and we promise that they will consider a solution so that the companies mentioned above can deduct the sponsorship either from the minimum tax or from the income tax, within 20% of the income taxes.

• It was also agreed to organize a joint Government-Civil Society working group to implement new provisions on transparency and control, develop tools and a system of work aimed at prevention and predictability.

This meeting was urgently demanded by the initiators of the letter to the Government, ARC and FDSK. Several signatory organizations were present and illustrated with concrete examples of their work, the impact of changes in the legislation on the sponsorship mechanism, if they remain in their current form.

The meeting was attended by: Mădălina Marcu (ARC), Ionuț Sibian (FDSC), Oana Gheorghiu (Dăruiește Viață), Mugurel Mărgărit (Royal Margaret Foundation of Romania), Mirela Nemțanu (HOSPICE Casa Speranței), Andreea Nistor (AVE), Bohdan Simion (FONPC), Dan Barbulescu (Vakerest Natural Park Association), Gabriela Alexandrescu (Save the Children) and Gabriel Birish. Robert Ion (Hopes and Homes for Children Romania) and Diana Kyriacescu (FONSS) were members of the working group that prepared the civil society response, while Mihaela Nabar (World Vision Romania) and Nicoleta Orlea (Autism Voice) provided data.

On behalf of the Government, the following took part in the meeting: Prime Minister Marcel Čolaku, Deputy Prime Minister Marian Neatsu, Minister of Finance Marcel Bolosh, Head of the Office of the Prime Minister Mihai Gihiu and Victoria Stoicu, State Adviser on Civil Society .

We are pleased that Prime Minister Marcel Čolaku has shown openness to a direct and clear discussion on sponsorship. It is important that decisions affecting the sector are discussed transparently and with consideration for the millions of beneficiaries who represent civil society, and we trust that the dialogue will continue in a spirit of true collaboration for the benefit of the communities we serve.

On Wednesday, a consultative meeting of Prime Minister Marcel Čolaka and Minister of Finance Marcel Bolosh with representatives of non-governmental organizations was held at the Victoria Palace.

The meeting took place in a context in which we fear that some proposals from the draft “Law on some budgetary fiscal measures to ensure the financial stability of Romania in the long term” may harm the non-governmental sector, namely: