The Ministry of Finance has responded to the article titled “Worrying data: Revenues from six types of duties are falling,” published today on the Vijesti portal.

We present their response in full:

“It is concerning to see tendentious and unfounded reporting from one of the leading media sources, particularly from the same author, regarding public finances. This ongoing coverage can mislead the public by presenting unobjective information over an extended period.

The data discussed in the latest piece, ‘Worrying data: Revenues from six types of duties are falling,’ was promptly made available on the Ministry of Finance’s website. ND Vijesti’s request for clarification, which raised the concern of ‘worrying data,’ arrived on April 4 at 11:47:24 AM. This left less than 58 hours for a response on the same day that the Ministry was hosting the 100th Annual Joint Meeting of the Board of Directors, Administrative Council, and Senior Management of the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB), attended by over 43 high-ranking officials from various countries. It is crucial for the public to consider the author’s intention when interpreting such data. To ensure accurate and objective interpretation of the data, we would like to emphasize:

The realization of budget revenues is influenced by the timing of collection and booking in the state treasury managed by the Ministry of Finance. The last working day of the month is recorded through the treasury system as budget revenue for the following month. Considering that VAT and contributions fell short of the plan during two months of 2025, with approximately €4.7 million in VAT and €5.3 million in contributions booked on the first day of March, it is evident that the deviation from the plan is primarily due to the timing of collection and recording in the national accounting system.

Moreover, the dynamics of VAT revenue collection in net amounts are affected by the timing of VAT refunds, which the Tax Administration has accelerated since the beginning of the year. For instance, VAT refunds for the first two months of 2025 reached €22.8 million, which is €14.0 million higher than the corresponding period in 2024. This significantly stimulates the business environment and helps eliminate barriers in the economy.

Data on March’s budget revenues will be released at the end of April. The Ministry of Finance monitors daily trends, and fluctuations in the collection of specific budget categories are a standard occurrence throughout the year. The Tax Administration has informed taxpayers that the deadline for submitting financial statements and annual corporate income tax returns for 2024 has been extended from March 31 to April 18, 2025. Therefore, minor deviations are possible, yet the budget continues to be implemented at the desired and anticipated pace without any risk to annual performance.

This is substantiated by published data from the Tax Administration, indicating that gross revenue collection for the first three months of 2025 totaled €466 million, which is €21.7 million more than the same period in 2024, exceeding the collection plan by €17.1 million.

“This response was prepared for delivery to the Vijesti editorial office this morning. Had the other side intended to seek clarification, a one-sided article would not have been rushed into publication. We would like to highlight that the inquiry from the editor of the economic section regarding another topic was addressed on the same day, April 4. It is apparent that the prioritization of topics for today’s edition was influenced by other motives,” stated the Ministry of Finance.

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