The Ministry of Finance’s important achievement during the current Cabinet's activity year was the signing of a new program with the IMF for a larger amount, macro-financial assistance from the EU and other donors’ funds.
This was stated by the Finance Ministry’s Secretary General Dina Rosca while she was speaking on Monday at a government meeting, where the activity of all line ministries for the first year since the current Cabinet took office was summed up, as well as plans for the future. Dina Rosca said that the Finance Ministry's activity during this period was focused on identifying, mobilizing and ensuring the allocation of funds for all government activities in order to reduce the effects of the pandemic crisis, natural gas crisis and the crisis caused by the war in Ukraine. The Cabinet also ensured the financing of government policies and measures aimed at increasing salaries, pensions and benefits, and financing activities to provide state institutions with energy during the heating season. The Ministry of Finance successfully ensured the stability of the public budget. The Secretary General of the Ministry of Finance reminded that since the beginning of its activity the current Government had resumed the dialogue with the development partners, discussed and signed a new program with the International Monetary Fund for 40 months worth over $558 million. Later, in the context of the energy crisis and the war in Ukraine, the Government managed to reach an agreement with the IMF to increase the financing within the new program by $256 million. Besides, it managed to access the EU macro-financial assistance, the World Bank’s and other development partners’ credit resources worth over $500 million. During the analyzed period, more than 30 loan agreements were signed with different development partners. Dina Rosca noted that the Ministry of Finance has taken a number of actions in the field of public procurement, which led to the solution of many problems in this area triggered by rising prices of fuel, building materials, food. Methodological assistance was provided to all parties involved in government procurement. The Ministry of Finance facilitated measures to open centers for Ukrainian refugees, opened an account to collect donations for them, and manages it transparently. The decision on the allocation of funds is approved by the Commission on Emergency Situations, and the Ministry of Finance provides updated information on the website about the entities to receive the money, the amount and the purpose the funds are allocated for. Secretary General of the Ministry of Finance also recalled the approval of the new Customs Code, harmonized with European standards. According to her, a secondary regulatory framework for its application in practice is now being developed. In addition, the Ministry of Finance, together with other colleagues, has taken measures to streamline the traffic on the border with Romania. A number of important actions were taken in the area of salaries: salaries for some categories of budgetary employees were increased, and subsequently for all categories of budgetary employees; the minimum wage in the budgetary sector was raised to 3,500 lei. Dina Rosca said that the priority is now to identify financing measures and policies within the implementation of an action program for the heating season. Amendments to the state budget for 2022 are being prepared for this purpose, as well as for raising salaries to budgetary employees and compensations to low-income citizens. Work on the draft state budget for 2023 is underway. Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita urged the Ministry of Finance to eliminate the problem of the difference in salaries in different state institutions, which arises due to different allowances, bonuses, etc. and to introduce a new payroll system, fair and balanced for the entire budget system. The Secretary General of the Ministry of Finance promised that it will be approved in a package with the draft law on the state budget and fiscal policy for the next year and will be implemented from January 1, 2023. // 08.08.2022 – InfoMarket
