The Fiscal Antifraud Department within Romania's tax authority ANAF started on Monday, October 19, the first stage of a major operation that focuses on controlling and monitoring the activity in wholesale centers in Romania.

The operation, nicknamed “Crystal” (Cristal), will be carried out daily until December 25, according to a statement of ANAF. In this period, antifraud inspectors will check the economic activity and the trade flow in the commercial complexes. The operation targets 60 wholesale centers.

Some 600 inspectors already checked several centers in Romania starting Monday morning, namely West Market in Oradea, Agrotransilvania Dezmir in Cluj, Romalion in Bacau, Pasarea Phoenix in Iasi, Galgros in Galati, Tug in Braila, Euro 2 and Piata de Gros in Timisoara, Marlorex and Frigorifer in Craiova, Gama Center in Ploiesti, Pavcom in Targoviste, Expomarket Doraly in Afumati Ilfov, Smart Expo Flora in Bucharest, and Brintex in Brasov.

If the inspectors find irregularities, they will start a more thorough check of the companies' activities, according to ANAF.

Depending on the first stage's results, the “Crystal” operation will be resumed in early-2016.

The strategy to combat evasion in the wholesale trade sector aims to eliminate bad companies from these centers and to block their access in the economic circuit through new VAT registration procedures, according to ANAF representatives.

“At the end of this operation, the only ones engaging in economic activities within wholesale centers across the country will be honest taxpayers,” said Gelu Stefan Diaconu, ANAF president.

Besides this checking operation, the antifraud inspectors will also supervise the imports destined to these wholesale centers. Moreover, a new structure within the Antifraud Department, called the Traffic Control, will supervise the intra-community acquisitions.

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Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com