PM Dancila: We have a workforce problem in Romania and we must convince Romanians to return home

Prime Minister Viorica Dancila on Saturday paid a visit to the Vrancea County, where she stated that Romania is currently facing a workforce problem, especially when it comes to the skilled workforce, and pointed out that it's important the Romanians working abroad to come back home.

"We must admit when there is a problem. And we do have a workforce problem. We issued a normative act in order to attract more workforce to Romania. We need skilled workforce, which is also why we introduced the dual education system, in order for people to acquire the necessary skills. (...) It is important that we bring home the Romanians who are now working abroad and I think that we have managed to do that in the medical sector. And I mean now the doctors, after we increased their salaries up to 3-4,000 euros, which are pretty high salaries, and this resulted not only in convincing doctors to stay, but also convincing a part of those who already left to return," said the PM.

He also added that, in order to solve the workforce problem in the healthcare sector, a solution was to increase the number of resident doctors.

"Another normative act that we approved last weeks concerns resident doctors, in the case of whom we increased the number of existing spots from 4,000 up to 5,415," said Viorica Dancila.

According to her, the increase in the living standards and salaries could convince a part of the Romanians who left to return home.

Viorica Dancila paid a short visit to Focsani on Saturday to participate in the "Bachus 2018" Vineyard and Wine Festival, where she visited the stands of the wine producers and also of artisans who presented their creations at the National Fair of Artisans in Piata Unirii. AGERPRES (RO - author: Dana Lepadatu, editor: Irina Poenaru; EN - editor: Cristina Zaharia)