UPDATE/ PM Dancila says budget revision, positive, secures wage pay, continuation of investment

The budget revision the Government is expected to pass today in a meeting is a positive one that will secure all the appropriations for the payment of salaries, pensions and social allowances, for the proper operation of all public institutions, as well as for the continuation of investment projects in priority areas, according to Prime Minister Viorica Dancila. "At today's Government meeting, we will pass a budget revision bill that the Minister of Finance unveiled for a first reading at a previous meeting. As I said last time, this is a positive revision that will provide the necessary amounts for the payment of salaries, pensions and all social allowances, for the proper operation of all the state institutions, as well as for the continuation of investment in priority areas," said Dancila in the beginning of the meeting. She added that the revision would leave the Health Ministry with the appropriations it received at the beginning of the year. "The funds will continue to be used to equip and rehabilitate all the healthcare facilities in the country, as well as to advance national healthcare programmes, the secure the provision of subsidised medicines and the pay increases to the medical staff," explained Dancila. She added that education "will continue to enjoy 42.4pct higher funds than in 2018". "If they make up for the delays in the first half of the year, we will return with additional amounts at the second revision," said Dancila. "We will continue the education programmes underway, including the one regarding paying for the school supplies of children from low-income families. The cut by almost one billion lei in the appropriations to the Ministry of Education mainly refers to the ‘I go to school' programme, which, unfortunately, has not been prepared to be financed and implemented by the end of this year, "said Dancila. The prime minister also explained that "the personnel costs that were initially overestimated are being reconsidered." "The appropriations following the revision secure the payment of wages throughout the year, of enforceable rulings and of the application of Law No.85/2016. Mark that the institutions which appropriations have been curtailed, the commitment appropriation were not diminished, so that the process of contracting projects on European funds, as well as investment works will not be affected. As usual, we distribute the necessary amounts where needed, reducing from areas where the public money is not spent by the end of this year," said Dancila. She mentioned that the ongoing budget revision will support the latest flood- of landslide-stricken or hit by other natural disasters. "Under the new revision, we allocate 500 million lei for the restoration of the affected infrastructure. We also allocate the necessary funds for the continuation of investment projects for the development of the local communities. As I have said, applying the principle of cohesion in a harmonious development of all regions of the country is very important to the Romanian government," said Dancila. AGERPRES (RO - author: Daniel Florea, publisher: Claudia Stanescu; EN - author; Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Rodica State)