Ciolacu: Light industry must be designated a "strategic support industry"

The light industry must be designated a "strategic support industry", meaning that the Government will purchase with priority from the Romanian producers military equipment, products for doctors and for the law enforcement, the Social Democratic Party (PSD) Chairman Marcel Ciolacu said on Tuesday.

"The light industry must be designated a strategic support industry. That is, the Government should purchase with priority from Romanian producers military equipment, products for doctors and law enforcement. Stocks in the state reserve and for emergency situations should be ensured frequently from Romanian companies. Last but not least, we must come in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan with a clear component aimed to save the Romanian garment industry", Ciolacu told a press conference, after the meeting with the Romanian producers of protective equipment and from the garment industry.

He added that he would like to ask Prime Minister Florin Citu how it is possible for law enforcement in France or Italy to wear "Romanian products" and for those in Romania to wear products from China".

Ciolacu also specified that this is the "area" in which PSD will get involved, mentioning that it does not understand how Unifarm could buy imported masks when there are local producers.

"This is the area in which PSD will get involved. At the moment we see the reality, I still don't understand how, for example, Unifarm could buy so many imported masks when we have local producers (...). "I met today a young producer, with a capacity of 60 million medical masks per month. No one from the Government contacted them and they did not even try to take Romanian products for strategic reserves", added the PSD chairman.