The Programme” Assistance for Romaniaʺ
The political power in Bucharest has agreed upon a series of measures to support the Romanians affected by the latest price hikes
Roxana Vasile, 12.04.2022, 14:00
The huge electricity and gas bills for both household consumers and companies in Romania have in the past months caused significant price hikes in all food and non-food products as well as in services. In statistical-financial terms, the situation has been translated into a higher inflation rate, which hasnt gained momentum yet! In this extremely difficult situation especially for the have-nots in Romania, the ruling PSD-PNL-UDMR coalition has agreed upon a series of measures to support the most vulnerable who account for almost 12 million of the countrys population. The “Assistance for Romania” package amounts to almost 3.5 billion euros out of which 9 billion lei come from EU funds the rest being covered from the state budget. Here is PSD leader Marcel Ciolacu.
Marcel Ciolacu: ʺThis project focuses on combating the price hikes, by offering support to the Romanian farmers and by increasing the processing capability of the food industry. The added value must eventually stay in Romania. The jobs must be kept here in Romania. At the same time, offering support to the Romanian companies was a priority. Through this support scheme, more than half of Romanias population will benefit from a form of protection against the price hikes. Another measure, which comes to the support of employees, both in the private and state sector of the economy, refers to zero taxes for a 200 lei pay rise for those with the minimum wages. In other words, the money goes into the employees pockets and the employer will pay no money to the state budget. ʺ The PNL president and Prime Minister, Nicolae Ciucă, says that people in low income brackets and the students with social scholarships are going to receive vouchers.
Nicolae Ciuca: ʺA billion Euros – 50% out of EU funds, 50% from the state budget – will consist of bimonthly food vouchers of 50 Euros for the families with monthly incomes below 600 lei, families with two children, single-parent families, pensioners with pensions below 15 hundred lei, persons with the lowest income and the disabled. Students, owners of social scholarships, are to get 30 euros for every month they have classes so that they may be able to buy food, stationery and clothing. The meal vouchers value rises by 50%, from 20.17 lei to 30 lei. We have also doubled the money for daily meals in hospitals and in old peoples homes from 11 to 22 lei.
Romania needs a strong state to step in whenever necessary because the economic crisis is expected to deepen in the following months, Kelemen Hunor, head of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania says. The measures comprised by the “Assistance for Romania” package are to be implemented in two stages, on May 1st and June 1st.
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