Fin Min claims draft budget will be ready soon, not to be approved

The Ministry of Finances if working on a draft state budget for 2017, however the draft is not going to be submitted for approval in parliament, Finance Minister Anca Dragu said on Monday, while in Botosani (north-eastern Romania).

According to the minister, the state budget is to be approved by the next government, which will submit it for approval in parliament.

“We will complete a draft budget, but we are not going to approve it. The law does not allow us to do so, there is no legal ground for this. An amendment to the public finances law reads that if elections take place three months before the year-end, then the new executive is the one to approve and send to parliament the draft budget,” Dragu said.

The Finance Minister argues that in its current form the state budget draft law for 2017 includes wage increases for state employees, however she refused to deliver details on the issue.