Romania, "economic growth of 2 percent" in 2013

The government estimates that Romania has registered an economic growth of 0.7 percent in 2012 and in 2013 will increase by two percent said Liviu Voinea, Minister Delegate for the Budget at Radio Romania News, within the show "Matinal".

"While we believe, based on macroeconomic forecasts, that we expect an economic growth of 2 percent this year, the budget is prudently built on an increase of 1.8 percent.

"So, the growth taken in calculating the budget construction is smaller, so you do not have surprises on royalties," says Liviu Voinea.

The government, also, will not approve in 2013 the financing of any investment, local authorities are able to access EU funds.

The Government contributed to the budget in 2013, to co-financing of EU funds with 21 billion lei, for public investment, up 4 billion from 2012, said Friday, Liviu Voinea, Minister Delegate for the Budget.

"During 2013 – 2016, we propose to change the structure of public investment so that investment financed from own resources, so to say, directly from the budget, to be lower down, however, be offset by increased investments financed with Europeans money.

"And, to make sure that this can be achieved, we budget from year to year more money for EU co-financing.

"For example, in 2012 we budgeted and they have spent, according to preliminary execution, 17 billion lei for financing European funds, and in 2013 we budgeted 21 billion lei, so an increase of 4 billion lei, practically almost a billion plus, "said Voinea.

2013 budget includes investments of 7.8 billion Euros, of which 2.5 billion investments from European funds.

Social, health and transport areas supported by government

The Government seeks further fiscal consolidation and deficit reduction demand to support the economy, so we do not need loans.

"Now, within these limits, these constraints, surely we try to finance priority areas and, here, highway construction is a very important area, which assigned all too much money from the budget, the budget practically 5.3 billion lei are allocated for this year, "says Liviu Voinea.

"Then the health sector, which receives a substantial increase in allocation by 17 percent compared to last year, so that the GDP increases from 4 percent to 4.5 percent we will implement during the year, a European directive, which obliges the state to pay bills for medicines within 60 days, as you know in the past they paid also over 300 days, "added Liviu Voinea.

The Minister Delegate for the Budget, Liviu Voinea, stresses that all areas are important and that he tries not to cut funding.

"A field, I can tell you, where funding is down from last year is that of government, i.e. less money for a source often criticized by press as a source of waste ", said Liviu Voinea.


Translated by Alexandra-Diana Mircea