The government budget revision: Where the money is going

Several ministries, including the Economy, Energy, Development, Tourism and Research ministries, will lose money following the first budget revision done by the Dancila government this year. Budgets will be cut from the Presidency, SRI, SIE, STS and SPP. The winners’ list includes pensions, healthcare, agriculture, local authorities, the Ministry of the Interior and ANAF, institutions that will share an extra RON 6 billion.

The government still estimates that the budget deficit will be at 2.97 percent at the end of the year, with a 1.3 percent minus to 7 months.

The improvement in the budget deficit situation might be due to the change in the nominal value of GDP, from RON 908 billion, as estimated in the last year’s budget construction, to RON 945 billion, a new estimate by the National Forecasting Commission for this year.

Thus, the execution of the general consolidated budget for the first six months of 2018 ended with a deficit of almost RON 15 billion, or 1.61 percent of GDP, which threatens the possibility of staying within the annual target of 3 percent.

The reported rising revenue, by over 12 percent, was far exceeded by the 19 percent growth in spending, and two thirds of the money spent by the state went into wages and social assistance.

Who gets more money

Pension budget – RON 852.1 million, to cover the pension payments until the end of the year;

Healthcare – RON 891.1 million. The money will go to equipment for mothers and children: 300 incubators, 300 hearing aids for newborns, public health programs equipment for non-reimbursable projects;

Education – RON 178.1 million. Investments to educational institutions, grants for secondary education, conference hall at the Polytechnic University of Bucharest, completion of the C Building of the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Humanities at Valahia University in Targoviste, completion of the central office of the University of Pitesti – Building B;

Agriculture and ANSVSA – RON 185 million for diesel fuel payments for agricultural works, investments in 37 irrigation pumping stations, eradication of swine fever (compensations for slaughtered animals)

Local administrations – RON 1.12 billion for maintaining local communities’ revenues at the level of 2017, ensuring the amounts for the program food for pupils;

National Program for Local Development (PNDL I + II) – RON 300 million through Ministry of Development;

Transport – RON 170.5 million for finalization-upgrade of 90 km DN 18 Baia Mare – Sighetul Marmatiei – Iacobeni, completion of Agigea-Constanta Bridge rehabilitation, construction of the bridge over the Vedea River, starting works on the Ramnicul Valcea – Vâlcele railway and a flight simulator for the Aviation School;

Ministry of the Interior – RON 366.3 million for equipment and means of intervention and terrestrial mobility for the Gendarmerie and Police, salaries for 7,792 positions for agents and non-commissioned agents;

Money for renewal – RON 230 million for another 30,000 cars in the Rabla program, for the upgrade of household appliances;

State aid schemes – RON 250 million lei for investments more than EUR 3 million, for program Invest In Yourself and for the return of duty for gas to carriers;

State aid schemes – RON 1.800 million to commitment credits, program to support the film industry gROwth program – we invest in children, we invest in the future, Start-up Nation – beneficiaries: 10,000 companies, gROwth program – we invest in housing service;

State aid schemes commitment appropriations – RON 1,800 million for gROwth program – Residences 5, Junior savings account, investment program in areas with high unemployment;

ANAF – RON 278 million for the modernization of the IT system, equipment for customs personnel, rehabilitation and modernization of the customs (Moldova, Serbia, Ukraine).