Acting FinMin: Budget must allow for pension increases, we are at complicated economic time

The proposals on the increase of pensions must take into account the capacity of the budget to pay them, given that the country's economy is already at a complicated time, Dan Vilceanu, interim minister of Finance, Secretary General of the National Liberal Party (PNL) said on Thursday, agerpres reports.

"You know very well that the first proposal [of the PNL to increase the pensions from January 1, 2022 - ed.n.] was 6%. Now, when we started the negotiations with the Social Democratic Party, they proposed 11%. The moment we finalize the discussion on the increase of pensions, we will be able to tell you exactly what the percentage is," Vilceanu specified.

"I would like all parties involved in these discussions, especially in political discussions, to understand that, yes, politically, you have a gain when you come up with such proposals, they are popular proposals, not to mention populist. But both the economy and the budget should be able to afford to pay these amounts, we are at a difficult time from an economic standpoint, further amplified by the fourth wave of the pandemic. I think we should look carefully at what will happen in the future and we be ready to face all the challenges," said the interim minister.

He recalled that 3 billion lei are needed to cover the budgetary impact of capping the energy price and offsetting bills, a problem that did not exist a few months ago.

At the same time, when asked if the energy and gas suppliers will receive their money in time to offset bills, Vilceanu specified that this will happen within the term stipulated by law.