Presidential adviser Cosmin Marinescu has stated on Friday that there is the danger that the money destined to the payment of the pensions should be insufficient, arguing the calculations show that the sums envisaged for pensions have been underestimated in the 2019 draft budget. President Iohannis sent the budget back in Parliament for re-examination after the Constitutional Court has recently ruled the budget law is constitutional.
„The drat budget launched in public debate on January 31 the expenses on pensions within the state social security budget envisaged RON 69.3 billion. After just one week, the budget law adopted on February 8 the expenses on pensions were RON 68.1 billion, so RON 1.2 bln less,” said the presidential aide, adding this situation must be clarified.
He argued the forecast could be done taking into account the pensions expenses on the last months of the previous year.
„Back then, the monthly expenses were RON 5.51 billion. Then, we have to consider the increase of the pension point by 15 per cent as of September 2019, as the Government announced and therefore RON 69.6 billion are needed”, the adviser further said.
„We ask the government to clarify these and to ensure that the sums for the pensions will be entirely included for the whole year,” said Marinescu, who is presidential adviser for economic and social policies within the Presidential Administration.
President has sent the budget law back in Parliament for re-examination today, as he announced several days ago.
PSD retorts: aberrant statements
PSD secretary general, Codrin Ştefănescu, has retorted that, instead of sending a message on March 8, the International Women’s Day, the presidential adviser „came out with an aberrant statement on pensions from which no economic understood anything”.
„Since we have been at power President Klaus Iohannis keeps telling us there are no money for pensions while at the same time the government has increased pensions and salaries on a regular basis”, Stefanescu argued.
He added that the head of state must „answer before Romanians and before he law for his aberrant and anti-national decisions”.
„While he is still blocking the budget, Romania is affected in the territory and local authorities are losing RON 300 million every month, while Romania must borrow money abroad at higher interests, although we have money,” the PSD leader said.