Rectification of the budget will be done this year according to the law, said Marcel Ciolacu on Friday in Buzău. He also mentioned that the nature of the rectification, whether positive or negative, will depend on the dialogue with the European Commission.
The government will carry out two budgetary rectifications in 2023, one in September and another in November.
Sources from the government stated that the main beneficiaries of these rectifications will be the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Development, Public Works, and Administration.
Furthermore, sources also mentioned that discussions among government officials in Brussels regarding the budget deficit target will continue.
Premier Marcel Ciolacu explained that our country has had additional expenses due to the war in Ukraine, in the context of the budget deficit issue.
The Romanian government has allocated 2.5% of the GDP for defense, according to the commitments made at NATO level.
Premier Marcel Ciolacu already had a meeting with President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, at the end of August where he emphasized the developments related to the implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). He also expressed the government’s intention to maintain the deficit within reasonable limits without affecting the economy and the population. He added that he requested the President’s efforts in supporting Romania’s accession to the Schengen Area.
“I emphasized the developments related to the implementation of the PNRR, as well as certain fiscal-budgetary measures negotiated by previous right-wing governments, as well as the situation of public finances and the intention of the government to keep the deficit within reasonable limits without affecting the economy and the population,” mentioned the Prime Minister.
In addition, Minister of Transport, Sorin Grindeanu, explained that the upcoming budget rectification will be a positive one. He announced that he requested an additional 16 billion lei for the Ministry of Transport but is unsure if the entire budget will benefit from this additional amount.
When asked if taxes will increase, Sorin Grindeanu explained that if we continue in this manner, Romania’s European funds will be suspended and the country will be fined, which is undesirable.
