Romanian parliament accidentally slash taxes

The Romanian parliament mistakenly voted to cut sales tax on food to a fifth of its previous level.

By backing the move yesterday MPs from the ruling party managed what thousands of protesting workers failed to do and reduced the tax from 24% to 5%.

Finance minister Gheorghe Ialomitianu, who also voted for the reduction said the measure, which passed 290 to 0, was adopted by mistake.

The Romanian government raised the tax from 19% to 24% in July this year to keep the budget deficit down.

The Democratic Liberal Party is expected to file for an annulment.