New interim Tax Authority head appointed, former one fired after prosecution

Daniel Diaconescu was appointed on Thursday in the position of vice-president of the National Tax Administration Agency (ANAF), with president powers, pending the appointment of a new head. 

Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos's decision to this effect has been published in the Official Gazette. 

The appointment was announced after Ciolos dismissed former ANAF president Gelu Diaconu (who openly refused to resign) and vice president Mihai Gogancea-Vatasoiu, both prosecuted in connection with a criminal investigation on Parliament members Madalin Voicu and Nicolae Paun. 

Daniel Diaconescu has 10 years of experience in fiscal administration and protection of interests of the European Union. He was a managing director of ANAF's Fiscal Antifraud Directorate General. Under his coordination and within the project of modernization of the ANAF, unfolded jointly with the World Bank, he contributed to the implementation of some projects of increasing the voluntary compliance through modern administration means. He managed a pilot project to curb undeclared and under-declared labour in 2014, extended nationwide as of 2015. From 2005 to 2009, he led the Data Analysis Directorate of the Fiscal Antifraud Directorate General, working on the identification, prevention and fight against frauds in European financial assistance to Romania, with remarkable results recognized by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF). 

He graduated from the National Defence College and the National School of Political and Administrative Studies, with a master's degree in European public administration. AGERPRES