Romanian media industry, seriously hit by the Governmental measures

The Romanian Press Club (CRP) and Romanian Press Employers (PPR)  announced, in a press release quoted by Reporter Virtual, that the introduction of social security contributions on journalist contracts of copyrights will translate into serious reductions of their income and layoffs. Also, the two Romanian organizations promised they will act in all the possible ways to modify this tax regime imposed to the press.

The governmental measure is active starting July 1st, has no real effect on the state budget and will only strike a blow against the mass-media industry. The two institutions also said that applying social security contributions for income gained from copyright will lead to layoffs and salary cuts.

“The supplemental taxes on journalists’ income will result in costs increase, salary reductions and layoffs in the mass-media companies, while the industry is in the bleakest situation from the last 20 years and was already hit by layoffs measure, as all the private sector. CRP and PPR think that the Government is deliberately trying to bankrupt  mass-media industry  by applying unjustified decisions, with no economical justification, in order to revenge and payback to certain media groups. CRP and PPR will resort to all institutional means to modify the taxing regime applied to journalists’ income and hope those will echo also in Parliament and find understanding and support even among the lucid members of the Romanian Government”, the press release says.