Businesses furious over government’s plan to increase indirect taxes

Businesses in Estonia are dismayed to find out that the government plans to raise budget income by increasing several fees in 2013, most importantly seafaring fees and the mining fee, writes Äripäev.

A law amendment that was sent by the government to the Riigikogu wrote into the draft state budget an increase of seafaring fees from nearly EUR 10m to 20m.

Waterway fee that will replace the lighthouse, navigation and ice-breaking fee will be determined according to the vessel’s total capacity and could reach 40,000 euros.

If it becomes effective, the cost of entering a port in Estonia would increase up to six times.

The scheme has already affected several logistic and transport companies.

Fertilizer traders DBT, one of the largest fertilizer terminals in the Port of Muuga, says that it has lost two customers for the scheme already.

Toomas Hõbemägibbnatchararipaev.ee