Serbian Tax Administration director steps down

BELGRADE Acting Director of the Serbian Tax Administration Ivan Simic on Friday resigned from that position, the Finance Ministry has announced. Earlier, Simic said he believed that for he had received "two warnings" concerning his work as the head of the Tax Administration. Serbian Tax Administration director steps down "It was the reminder of the Fiscal Council that I was the worst director who ever worked, and that (tax) collection was very poor. The second was an announcement that I was receiving two salaries, which is not true, made in Politika, which I consider a serious newspaper, and that could not be published without the permission of certain people," Simic said. From 2006 until 2008 he was the director of the Tax Administration of Slovenia. In August 2012 he was appointed an adviser to then Serbian Minister of Finance and Economy Mladjan Dinkic, responsible for the reform of the tax system. Simic then took over the Tax Administration in February of this year. Dinkic recently told B92 said that Simic was an accomplished expert and that "the campaign" launched against him came from "those powerful people from whom he collected taxes." According to Dinkic, "the story about two salaries was launched for that purpose although such an expert should work for a high salary." (Tanjug, file) "Lengthy analysis" The Ministry of Finance announced on Friday that Simic stepped down after "a lengthy and detailed analysis of the Tax Administration's work and talks between Finance Minister Lazar Krstic and Simic", the ministry noted. The Finance Ministry will put forward a proposal for a new acting director of the Tax Administration by December 31. The ministry thanked Simic for all efforts he had invested in improving the Tax Administration's work,a statement reads, adding that the administration will continue working on its modernization and intensify efforts to improve the tax control and collection even further. Simic also announced that he had decided to step down, noting that the Tax Administration was "working well and that many reforms and improvements in business operations had been carried out successfully." In 2013, the Tax Administration has collected the biggest amount of tax in its history, the efficiency of tax collection will be among the best, and electronic business operations are becoming a common part of taxpayers' business operations, Simic said, underscoring that this was his "greatest objective." B92 Tanjug

Serbian Tax Administration director steps down

"It was the reminder of the Fiscal Council that I was the worst director who ever worked, and that (tax) collection was very poor. The second was an announcement that I was receiving two salaries, which is not true, made in Politika, which I consider a serious newspaper, and that could not be published without the permission of certain people," Simič said.

From 2006 until 2008 he was the director of the Tax Administration of Slovenia.

In August 2012 he was appointed an adviser to then Serbian Minister of Finance and Economy Mlađan Dinkić, responsible for the reform of the tax system. Simič then took over the Tax Administration in February of this year.

Dinkić recently told B92 said that Simič was an accomplished expert and that "the campaign" launched against him came from "those powerful people from whom he collected taxes."

According to Dinkić, "the story about two salaries was launched for that purpose although such an expert should work for a high salary."

"Lengthy analysis"

The Ministry of Finance announced on Friday that Simič stepped down after "a lengthy and detailed analysis of the Tax Administration's work and talks between Finance Minister Lazar Krstić and Simič", the ministry noted.

The Finance Ministry will put forward a proposal for a new acting director of the Tax Administration by December 31.

The ministry thanked Simič for all efforts he had invested in improving the Tax Administration's work,a statement reads, adding that the administration will continue working on its modernization and intensify efforts to improve the tax control and collection even further.

Simič also announced that he had decided to step down, noting that the Tax Administration was "working well and that many reforms and improvements in business operations had been carried out successfully."

In 2013, the Tax Administration has collected the biggest amount of tax in its history, the efficiency of tax collection will be among the best, and electronic business operations are becoming a common part of taxpayers' business operations, Simič said, underscoring that this was his "greatest objective."