Finance Ministry project to give tax police sweeping powers of surveillance

In a vigorous move to strengthen the powers of the fiscal police, the Finance Ministry has sent a new draft bill extending the right of special tax inspectors to closely monitor citizens. Tax officers, who so far have been allowed to use guns and physical force, will now gain access to private letters and will not have to ask the courts for permission to tap telephones and would gain wider access to telecom networks, in other words, exactly the same rights as the police enjoy. The controversial draft has been greeted with apprehension with fears that such new rights could be abused and that the tax authorities will be able to target anyone they choose and this would not be adequately controlled. According to an anonymous high ranking Finance Ministry official, "The idea to authorize the tax office to keep an even closer eye on tax payers is not new. Nevertheless, the public should be assured that the tax intelligence unit will work under the supervision of the courts." This stands in opposition to the text of the draft sent to the Sejm which states that no court permission will be required to spy on taxpayers.(Puls Biznesu, p. 4) J.K.