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Chairman of the National Liberal Party (PNL) Ludovic Orban, Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, said on Tuesday that there was no discussion in the coalition on budget rectification and said it must be done by "taking into account existing realities" .
"We did not discuss the subject of budget rectification. From my point of view, budget rectification must be done taking into account the existing realities. I said very clearly that I was not listened to in the elaboration of the state budget when I referred to the need to supplement the budget of the Ministry of Development with at least three billion. I explained to them that they did not include, for example, the invoices to be paid for the work carried out in November and December. It is necessary to supplement the budget, because we cannot leave investments without funding. It is about investments in infrastructure, in local communities, fundamental investments without which local communities cannot develop," specified Orban, at the Palace of Parliament.
Regarding the National Local Development Plan 3 (PNDL), Orban estimated that it could "acquire the budget space" starting with the second half of next year. He stated that it should be conceived as a five-year multi-year program, it should have a value at least equal to that of PNDL 2, of approximately 40 billion lei, money to be used for infrastructure development at the local level.
"We can get the budget space for a new PNDL starting with the second half of next year. I am a realistic person, I have the experience to be able to do a budget planning. The launch stages of PNDL 3 obviously must include the consultation phase of the authorities so as to know exactly the actual needs. We must also not include in the PNDL what we can finance under the PNRR or what we can finance under the Regional Operational Program. Depending on this and after the public consultation, we need to determine which projects, in my view, infrastructure is a zero priority, regardless of whether it is transport, gas, water and sewer infrastructure. So my view is that resources should be redirected to infrastructure projects and that the value of a PNDL 3 should be at least equal to the value of the previous PNDL. It can be conceived as a five-year multi-annual program, a PNDL 3 worth 40 billion, if you really want to generate infrastructure development projects to help local communities that need those things," Orban said.
Orban specified that PNDL 1 and 2 are approaching their completion, works worth over 32 billion lei having been settled.
"So far there have been two programs, PNDL 1 and PNDL 2. PNDL 1, worth about 20 billion, PNDL 2 worth about 35 billion, this value will probably be reached. Works amounting to 32 billion have been settled from the total number of works, so both PNDL 1 and PNDL 2 are nearing the end and little by little there will be a decrease in the budget burden as their completion is approaching," said the PNL leader, Agerpres informs.
