President Klaus Iohannis promulgated, on Monday, the state budget law for 2023 and the state social insurance budget law for 2023.
The Parliament passed the two laws last week. The budget foresees an economic growth of 2.8% for the year 2023. It was built considering a GDP of 1,552.1 billion lei, an average annual inflation of 9.6%, revenues of the general consolidated budget of 539.6 billion of lei, with a share of total revenues in GDP of 34.8%, expenses of the general consolidated budget of 607.9 billion lei.
The public deficit will be in nominal value of 68.2 billion lei, down from 80 billion lei in 2022, or 4.4% of GDP in cash and ESA terms, from 5.7% of GDP in 2022, respectively 6.2% GDP in ESA terms.
The government claims that, in 2023, investment expenditures will amount to approximately 112.1 billion lei and will represent approximately 7.22% of GDP.
Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă stated in Parliament last week, after the adoption of the state budget project for the year 2023, that it is a realistic and balanced one.
In 2023, 2.3 million pensioners, who have pensions between 1,000 and 1,500 lei, will have increases in total income between 34% and 45%. 950 thousand pensioners, with pensions between 1500 and 2000 lei, will have total incomes increased between 22% and 25%. 1 million pensioners, with pensions from 2,000 to 3,000 lei, will have total incomes higher by 14-15%. 500 thousand pensioners, with pensions over 3000 lei, will have total incomes higher by 12.5%, said Labour minister.
On the other hand, the Opposition slammed the draft budget. The president of the USR, Cătălin Drula, declared, on Wednesday, in the plenary session of the Parliament, after the adoption of the draft state budget for 2023, that it is a “lying”, “inflationary” budget that “will put gas on the fire of price increases”.
“We voted against this budget, a lying budget, an inflationary budget, a budget that will fuel the price increases that happen every day, a budget made by special people. There is a special pensioner here with 43,000 euros. I understood that you said, Mr. Ciucă, through the prefect, to take down those panels put up by the civil society in which they talked about your special pension at 55 years of 43,000 euros per year”, said Drula. He said it was “a budget built on tax increases”.