The Court of Auditors found out that, in the electoral year 2014, Ponta government spent over RON 2 billion from the reserve fund, but not for emergency situations, as the law reads. Important amounts were spent for city halls, for churches and cultural exhibitions, digi24.ro reports.
The Victor Ponta cabinet spent RON 2.3 billion in 2014, although in previous years the fund had been diminished. However, the fund increased in 2014 against 2013 twofold, following the decisions included in the budget rectifications.
The initial level of the reserve fund in 2014 was of RON 161 million. The former PM decided to increase the fund… 14 times in the same year, up to RON 2.3 billion, the same level as the entire Justice Ministry.
The Court of Auditors says most of the expenditures went to other destinations than the urgent ones.
According to the Fiscal Council report for 2014, most of the expenditures from the reserve fund went to the city halls, some 37%, for current expenses.
Another beneficiary was the Development Ministry, which however spent the money also for city halls, for the payment of debts of for the winter heating.
On the list of beneficiaries there are also the General Secretariat of the Government – which spent dozens of millions to repair churches and the Ministry of Culture – for exhibitions in the country and in China.
The conclusion: the allotment of expenditures was done with total lack of transparency, without observing the legal criteria, the Fiscal Council says.
Read also:
http://www.romaniajournal.ro/court-of-auditors-reports-ron-1-8bn-damages-in-2014/