Emergency Ordinance (OUG) 114/2018 contains a set of measures to stimulate economic development, by increasing the level of investments, by supporting projects with direct benefits for the citizens, Prime Minister Viorica Dancila stated on Monday in the plenary of the Chamber Deputies.
"From the first day of my mandate, I said that I will come before you every time it is necessary to present the activity of the Government, as Parliament represents the essence of democracy. The reason is OUG 114. Although the Opposition's request on this normative act takes into consideration only the unfounded opinions expressed in the public space regarding certain provisions of this ordinance and not the text as a whole, I consider that the presentation of the measures taken by this normative act is welcome. Because many manipulations have occurred and the Romanians have the right to know the truth. The normative act contains a set of measures aimed at stimulating the development of the economy, by increasing the level of investments and by supporting the projects with direct benefits for the citizens. Romania did not invent these taxes, they were levied in several countries of the Union European," the prime minister said.
Viorica Dancila said that Romania is successfully fulfilling the mission of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, more files having been concluded since the taking over of the mandate than during the Presidency of Austria.
"Do you find it normal for Romanians to pay double interest rates as compared to the rest of the EU citizens? (...) Is anyone bothered that think that we think of Romanians? By Ordinance 114, we have sought that these billions of euro should reach the state budget for the construction of schools, hospitals and motorways. (...) We have taken these measures following a rigorous analysis and comparing the situation in Romania with that of the other European states and with the European average. We have this political and governmental responsibility to ensure that the citizens are the main beneficiaries of economic growth," Dancila said.
She added that the most important chapter of the OUG refers to the establishment of measures in the field of public investment, and by this act the Government, for the first time in 30 years, establishes the construction sector as a strategic domain.
"Through OUG 114, the Development and Investment Fund was established, the first such mechanism created after the Revolution to finance the investments of local authorities and universities only on the basis of construction permits. This fund finances the uniform development of local communities to provide all the Romanians with better living. In the coming days will be issued detailed provisions for the implementation, which will include the establishment of the necessary documentation for the granting of financing from the fund so that the territorial administrative units and the universities can submit projects as soon as possible. (...) The second component of the OUG is the measures aimed at improving the activity in several strategic areas, namely communications and energy, as well as ensuring the functioning of the market in terms of efficiency and discipline. As for the energy sector, electricity household consumers will be protected by setting up a new mechanism, namely the universal service for household consumers, based on the model of the minimum consumption basket that has been previously applied," the prime minister said.
Dancila said the Government is open to dialogue, and in the coming days there will be talks with energy and communications representatives to identify the best solutions. She mentioned that the application of the pay increase in education was pushed forward, and that the salaries of the teaching staff will reach the value originally set for 2022 as of 1 September 2020.
"A legitimate question comes to mind - those who clamor about the repeal of this OUG, what interests do they represent? Certainly not the Romanians' interests, because the abrogation would mean the cancellation of all these pay rises, investments and facilities. Everything is perfectible, I am open to dialogue," the prime minister concluded.
Comentează