The deputies adopted a legislative project that provides for a reduction of the tax on buildings and land for Romanians who donate blood at least three times a year. This can be combined with the 10% discount, granted to those who pay taxes in advance.
New benefits for those who donate blood – Photo Archive
The law providing for percentage reductions of taxes on buildings and land, decided by local councils, for individuals who prove that they have donated blood at least three times a year during a calendar year is going to be promulgated. In practice, local councils will be able to grant a discount to those who donate blood at least three times in a year. Moreover, the discount can be combined with the 10% bonus granted for the advance payment of taxes, until March 31. The reduction is applied to the difference resulting from the deduction of the bonus from the tax due, the law states.
The reduction, in the hands of local councils
“Blood donation is carried out both within the blood transfusion centers of the county and of the municipality of Bucharest, as well as within the mobile units belonging to the blood collection centers, properly equipped, which move in order to collect blood from potential donors”it is also shown in the law.
But it is not mandatory to benefit from tax reductions if we are donors. Each local authority will be free to decide whether to grant such a discount for the promotion of blood donation, and “exemptions or reductions from the payment of the tax are applied starting from January 1 of the year following the one in which the person submits the supporting documents. The percentage of the reduction, as well as the supporting documents necessary to prove the performance of the minimum number of blood donations are stipulated in the content of the local council decision establishing the tax reduction granted on the basis of this lawi”, the law also states.
The Senate adopted the project in December 2023, and the Chamber of Deputies was the decision-making body. The law was approved this week and will go to enactment.
BENEFITS
At the beginning of the year, blood transfusion centers throughout the country were stormed by donors after the value of the meal vouchers they receive increased more than 4 times since the beginning of the year: from 67 lei to 280 lei. Plus, donors get a day off and a 50% discount on public transportation. Donors also benefit from a free medical evaluation, a set of analyzes revealing the state of health and a set of biochemistry analyses, at the request of the donor. Blood donors can find out what blood type they have and whether they are Rh positive or negative.
However, in some centers in the country, the lack of donors is felt again.
“Dear donors, the number of those who came forward to donate today is reduced! Only 15 people so far. We ask all people in good health to come to our office. We remind you that donating blood does not necessarily require an appointment! The program is from Monday to Friday 7.30-13.30!“, announced those from the Constanța Regional Blood Transfusion Center on Facebook. A similar message was published on March 4.
In Bucharest, the number of donors remained high. “There is still an increased number of donors in Bucharest. It is ideal for potential donors to make an appointment, because in this way we have a record of the donors arriving at the center and we can better organize our activity and reduce the waiting time. Depending on the requests for blood products from hospitals, we also receive donors without an appointment, but in a limited number”explained doctor Lucia Grijac, director of the Bucharest Blood Transfusion Center.
Romanians who want to donate blood must make an appointment in the Donorium or BlooDoChallenge applications.
Around 200-250 people come to the Bucharest Blood Transfusion Center every day. Related to the new law that requires the granting of a tax reduction for those who donate blood at least three times a year, the director of the Bucharest Blood Transfusion Center says: “Theoretically, any law that supports the donor should lead to an increase in the number of donors. I hope and wish it helps. We will see in the next period what will happen. Any way of supporting the blood donation activity is welcome because in this way we can ensure the blood product needs of patients in hospitals“.
Only healthy people can donate blood
Doctors encourage us to donate blood. The transfusion takes between 8 and 10 minutes and an amount of 450 ml of blood is collected. There are five centers in Bucharest and one Transfusion Center in each county municipality.
If the European average of donors is 10%, in our country less than 2% of the population donates blood. The European countries with the highest level of blood donation are Austria, France, Greece and the Czech Republic.
Conditions to donate blood
Blood can be donated four times a year, once every three months, and donors must specify their full medical history to eliminate the risks to which patients who need blood are exposed. In addition, you must:
– be between 18 and 60 years old;
– be a Romanian citizen or resident in Romania;
– weigh >/= 50 kg;
– have blood pressure between 10 and 18 mmHg;
– not to have undergone surgery in the last 6 months;
– not to be in evidence with various ailments during treatment (diabetes, cardiovascular, hematological, renal, infectious or parasitic, rheumatological, neurological, allergies, etc.);
– not have a predisposition to prolonged bleeding in case of injuries;
– women should not be: pregnant, during the period of pregnancy, breastfeeding or during the menstrual period.
