In the context of a complex economic situation, Dr. Alberto Abad detailed the following topics of his administration.
Aduana News: Regarding the usefulness of the new jurisdiction in tax matters, When do you understand that it will be operational?
Answer: In the current year's budget, a specific allocation of six million pesos was set aside for them to begin operating. I estimate that the first three courts of the jurisdiction will begin to operate in the first half of the year..
Aduana News: Is there overlapping work in the AFIP and the General Directorate of Customs (DGA) departments for the prevention of smuggling - is there a Customs Police, Tax Intelligence and Inspection?
Answer: There is no question of overlapping, since the areas that carry out intelligence and investigation tasks work together, with their own specific methodology and competencies. In relation to this issue, I would like to tell you that we are developing a policy of collaboration with other agencies that carry out control tasks, such as the agreement signed in February with the National Gendarmerie to carry out satellite controls of container transfers and transits on trade routes between Chile and Uruguay.
Aduana News: What does the new structure of the DGA, which is being developed, consist of?
Answer: There are no projects under study within the scope of the General Directorate of Customs related to a new structure.
Aduana News: What will be the Human Resources policy this year?
Answer: We are working on establishing a human resource management system based on ongoing staff training and remuneration linked to the results obtained.
Aduana News: What expectations are there for customs tax collection in 2002? We are the collecting agency.
Answer: It is appropriate to refer to the estimates that appear in the National Budget for this year.
Aduana News: How can we understand that AFIP is an efficient body in the tasks that are within its competence?
Answer: There is a lot of professionalism in the AFIP, very good human and technological resources, and there is a great installed and management capacity. It must be put into operation, with stability in the management. We can state a series of factors that reduce the effectiveness of the Agency, for example: the constant changes in the regulatory system are harmful. Another problem is the databases. The tax administration focuses on the possibility of having a kind of x-ray of the taxpayer, which allows one to identify their financial situation and cash flows. This is how it defines who are the most important. But the country's databases are not centralized geographically, due to our federal system, and in addition some provinces do not have the computer capacity to give us updated data.
Customs News: What measures are being taken?
Answer: As for the measures being adopted, we are working on taking advantage of banking, since although before the process that began in December, the AFIP cross-referenced information with the financial system, now that there is a greater amount of data, we are going to use it to compare and control the Income Tax and Personal Property declarations. In addition, we are going to stop concentrating the pressure on the same 200.000 large taxpayers as always, seeking to direct our auditing actions towards the sectors in which we have detected the highest rates of evasion (agriculture, fuel, cigarettes). We also plan to investigate the large economic groups to determine whether their integration is legal or has fraudulent bases, because in many cases alliances are made to justify transfers of tax losses from one company to another and in this way the Treasury receives fewer resources.
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