The Government has approved in its Monday sitting the budget revistion for 2019, with PM Dancila announcing the Education Ministry will receive higher funds by 42.4% as against 2018.
“It is a positive budget revision and we are able to provide the necessary sums to pay salaries, pensions, all social allowances and to continue priority investments. Education will enjoy higher funds by 42.4% as against last year and if delays in the first semester are recovered we’ll add extra money at the second rectification. We’ll continue all education programmes, including the one to pay school supplies for the children coming from low-income families,” the premier said.
Dancila explained that the RON 1 bln cut from the Education revenues refers to the “I am going to school” programme, which was not stipulated in the projects this year.
She added the Health budget remains the same and that the Government will allot money to repair the infrastructure damaged in the areas affected by floods. According to the PM, the staff costs are also reviewed, arguing some of them had been initially overestimated.
The budget revision draft has not been amended as PSD’ ruling partners from ALDE had requested, as they had voiced their opposition against the draft. ALDE has even threatened to leave the ruling coalition if the budget rectification draft remains the same.
In a press release today, ALDE maintained its stance, arguing the budget revistion adopted by the Government is unrealistic and that it shows “the administrative inability to enforce the big investment projects”, while giving an ultimatum to the government.
ALDE leader Calin Popescu Tariceanu has asked PM Dancila to respond ALDE requests on a new ruling programme and on “a reshuffled government team based on competence” by August 20.
PSD files criminal complaint against PNL, which accused the ruling party of forging the figures
Liberal senator Florin Cîțu has slammed the budget revision adopted by the Dancila Cabinet, saying the Social Democrats have lied about the figures and that he is filing a request that Finance Minister and his secretaries of state, as well as the president of the National Statistics Commission, shall be heard in Parliament on “forging” the budget revision.
PNL accused PSD that PSD-ALDE had stolen about 10 percent of the GDP in the past two years and a half.
In his turn, PNL president Ludovic Orban said “the budget revision reveals that the PSD-ALDE ruling has mocked the money coming from taxes and fees, have wasted public funds and directed them for the party clientele”.
In retort, PSD threatened the Liberals to sue them. “PSD condemns the manner in which PNL is deliberately misinforming the population on the budget revision. Some PNL leaders’ recent statements, accusing the Government of allegedly <forging> the financial data and of allegedly <stealing> 10% of the GDP, are extremely serious and fall under the Criminal Code, as fake news that jeopardize the national security”, reads a PSD press release.