Slovenia will strengthen financial management by merging the customs and tax administrations into the Financial Administration and introducing financial police, outgoing Finance Ministry State Secretary Andrej Sircelj said here Tuesday, Xinhua reported.

The decision was made when the cabinet headed by outgoing Prime Minister Janez Jansa endorsed a financial administration bill earlier in the day.

Following its operation scheduled for July 1, the Financial Administration will supervise tax collection, cut red tape for taxpayers, and improve work efficiency of the Tax Administration and the Customs Administration.

The new policing body will be independent in its work, and will deal with the severest violations of tax legislation.

As Croatia is due to join officially the European Union on July 1, the newly-established administration will also make new legislation to adapt to Croatia's EU accession, according to Sircelj.

Slovenia shares some 670-km border with Croatia, thus needing to abandon customs procedures at border crossings with the neighboring country when the latter becomes the 28th EU state.

The Slovenian National Assembly dismissed in February Jansa's coalition government, and appointed simultaneously Alenka Bratusek as prime minister-designate.

Source: bne