Vigroux, Mazars: Romanian employees are not motivated to be paid based on a record of employment book

"Let's not hide from the truth: in Romania wages are still paid in envelopes. Many companies do not comply with the law. I am not talking about tax havens or such stunts, I am talking about basic taxation," says Jean-Pierre Vigroux, managing partner of the local consulting and auditing bureau of global firm Mazars, one of the most influential consultants on the market.

He set up PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Romania in 1991 and remained at the helm of the firm for 13 years. Vigroux is one of the expats best acquainted with the Romanian market, with secrets of big companies and with Romania after '89. He returned to Romania in 2008 to take over at the helm of Mazars, a second-ranking firm with 3.8 million euros in 2009.

Vigroux is perplexed that after 20 years of capitalism, Romanian employees are not motivated to be have their salaries paid based on the employment record book, quite the contrary, they propose to the employers that the money that would otherwise be paid to the state in the form of social security contributions, be given to them, saying "I don't need state's services. I can manage."