Amount of tax payments by card in Romania rose by 34 percent year-on-year to RON 98 million (EUR 22 million) in 2012, helped by a 37 percent hike in POS payments, according to data drawn up by Visa Europe, the payments technology business, from member banks.
The number of cityhalls accepting POS and online payment rose by 30 percent last year to 188. There is no commission charged for these transactions.
Visa said the number of city halls accepting online tax payment by card almost tripled to 95 municipalities. Taxes can be paid through the online platform ghiseul.ro or on the city hall websites.
“Visa Europe has supported the development of an operational card tax payment system since 2009 and an increasingly larger number of taxpayers can now enjoy the benefits of electronic payments.”
“We will further support the efforts of member banks, authorities and cardholders in order to turn this project into a success that can be replicated in other sectors of the public administration”, stated Catalin Cretu, general manager for Romania, Visa Europe.
The average amount of local taxes paid by card remained unchanged at RON 344 (EUR 77).
Ten Romanian cities, including Bucharest and Timisoara, generated 80 percent of the total collected amounts
Visa Europe and its member banks run between February 1st and March 31st, for the fourth year in a row, a campaign to promote the payment of local taxes by card. Cardholders can win five prizes per day of RON 500 each and the big prize of RON 50,000.
Source: business-review.ro