The Government will approve the budget next week

Romania`s budget for next year will be approved by the government until early next week, with a delay of more than two months.

The possible reasons for this delay could be the new salary law to pay the employees working for the state, reaching the deficit target, and also the payment of arrears, which was asked for by Romania`s international sponsors.

Six ministries may receive more money in 2011.

It also seems established that the public pensions, including the minimum guaranteed pensions, will stay the same in 2011.

The objectives that the government has settled for 2011 are a budget deficit of more than 4.4 percent of GDP and an inflation rate which shouldn`t go over 3 percent.

The Government spokeswoman, Ioana Munteanu, said that the executive was first waiting for the meeting of the Economic and Social Council, so that, later on, both budgetary projects for 2011 would be approved in an extraordinary meeting.

The Finance Minister, Gheorghe Ialimiţianu, declared after participating in a seminar, that they intended to design a budgetary project for next year, focused more on investments and co-financing, because Romania cannot prepare a budget which would only cover salaries and fund the financial costs.

Regarding the compensation given to mothers and the period during which they can stay at home to raise the children, Ioana Muntean stated that there were several options, which were not, however, discussed on Thursday in the government and would also be reviewed in next week`s meeting.


Translated by Manuela Stancu and Andreea Velicu
MA Students, MTTLC, Bucharest University