上周末,塞浦路斯政府與歐元集團(tuán)達(dá)成總額為100億歐元的救助協(xié)議。協(xié)議規(guī)定,塞浦路斯銀行要向儲(chǔ)戶一次性征稅,10萬(wàn)歐元以上存款的稅率為9.9%,10萬(wàn)歐元以下存款的稅率為6.75%。此政策可為塞浦路斯籌得58億歐元的資金,減少其獲得外部援助資金的數(shù)量。這一議案公布后引來(lái)各界不滿,塞浦路斯民眾紛紛涌向銀行提款,但銀行款項(xiàng)已被凍結(jié),要等到議會(huì)最終表決結(jié)束后才能解凍。歐元區(qū)各國(guó)財(cái)長(zhǎng)也表示,希望塞浦路斯政府能夠?qū)κf(wàn)歐元以下儲(chǔ)戶采取保護(hù)政策。這一協(xié)議同時(shí)也招來(lái)該國(guó)存款和投資大戶——俄羅斯方面的不滿,俄羅斯總統(tǒng)普京稱(chēng)此項(xiàng)征稅議案“不公平、不專(zhuān)業(yè)、而且危險(xiǎn)”。
自歐洲金融危機(jī)爆發(fā)以來(lái),歐盟各國(guó)一直對(duì)十萬(wàn)歐元以下存款采取保護(hù)政策。觀察人士認(rèn)為,塞浦路斯此舉違背了這一保護(hù)政策,同時(shí)擔(dān)心這一做法會(huì)危及歐元區(qū)其他國(guó)家儲(chǔ)戶的信心。塞浦路斯議會(huì)原定當(dāng)?shù)貢r(shí)間17日就存款征稅議案進(jìn)行表決,但因各方意見(jiàn)不統(tǒng)一已將表決時(shí)間推后到當(dāng)?shù)貢r(shí)間19日晚6點(diǎn)。有報(bào)道稱(chēng),提請(qǐng)表決的議案或?qū)⑹f(wàn)歐元以下儲(chǔ)戶的稅率降低到3%,而十萬(wàn)歐元以上的稅率提至12.5%。
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?Plans for a one-off tax of 6.75% on savings up to 100,000 euros ($130,000) have outraged Cypriots. |
Finance ministers from the eurozone have asked Cyprus to reduce the burden on small investors from a proposed levy on savings, linked to a bailout.
Plans for a one-off tax of 6.75% on savings up to 100,000 euros ($130,000) have outraged Cypriots.
Banks in Cyprus are to remain closed until Thursday, as efforts to revise an international bailout package continue.
A parliamentary vote on the package has been repeatedly postponed, but is now expected on Tuesday.
The 10bn-euro bailout agreed with the EU and IMF demands that all bank customers pay a one-off levy.
The government's efforts to shift more of the burden onto wealthier depositors enraged Russians, who form the bulk of overseas investors and have deposits worth billions of dollars in Cypriot banks.
Russian President Vladimir Putin called the proposed levy "unfair, unprofessional and dangerous", and Moscow has expressed frustration Russia was not included in European decision-making on Cyprus.
Under the currently agreed terms of the levy, depositors with less than 100,000 euros in Cyprus accounts would pay a one-off tax of 6.75%, while those with sums over that threshold would pay 9.9%.
But the move has outraged Cypriots and sparked heavy cash withdrawals from banks.
Since the start of the financial crisis there has been a guarantee that deposits under 100,000 euros in banks in the EU would be protected.
Many observers believe the Cypriot levy breaks the spirit of that agreement, and there is concern that it could also damage the confidence of depositors in other eurozone countries, reports the BBC's Chris Morris in Brussels.
Eurozone finance ministers - the Eurogroup - discussed the situation in a conference call on Monday evening.
Following the talks, its president Jeroen Dijsselbloem issued a statement saying the group "continues to be of the view that small depositors should be treated differently from large depositors and reaffirms the importance of fully guaranteeing deposits below 100,000 euros".
He said Cyprus would "introduce more progressivity in the one-off levy" - in other words, shift the burden away from small savers towards bigger depositors - provided that the same amount of funds, 5.8bn euros, was raised.
Mr Dijsselbloem urged "a swift decision by the Cypriot authorities and parliament to rapidly implement the agreed measures".
President Anastasiades has been holding talks with ministers and MPs at the parliament building in Nicosia, where hundreds of people noisily protested on Monday.
The BBC's Mark Lowen in Nicosia says there are suggestions Mr Anastasiades may want to lower the former rate to 3%, while raising the levy on the larger depositors to 12.5%.
The debate and vote in Cyprus' parliament is now scheduled for 18:00 local time (16:00 GMT) on Tuesday. It was to have been held on Sunday.
(Source: BBC News)
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