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President Klaus Iohannis on Monday stated that the Government will have to make a "comprehensive analysis" and reassess all expenditures and revenues, in the context in which the situation with the state budget is "complicated."
"The situation is pretty serious and I need to say at least a few things. This epidemic has generated a crisis that is not affecting, unfortunately, only the healthcare system, it's not just a public health crisis, but it affects the entire economy and it's going to affect the budget. We will be forced, most probably, to increase the budget deficit significantly. On the other hand, we need to invest even more money in the public health sector, we need more money to pay for social security, furlough, unemployment, all these things must be covered. But we are going to have a complicated situation with the budget, that is for sure, as sure as the fact that the situation won't solve by itself, but the Government will have to make a comprehensive analysis, instead of just conducting a budget rectification, which budget will be affected by a number of changes in the following days. The Government will have to reassess the falling revenues and the growing expenditures for the entire fiscal year, for we need to reassess all expenditures that require public money," the head of the state said at the Cotroceni Palace.
On the other hand, Iohannis congratulated the private companies who got involved in bringing masks and protective materials to Romania.
The head of state had a meeting to evaluate the measures for managing the COVID-19 epidemic with Prime Minister Ludovic Orban, Finance Minister Florin Citu, Interior Minister Marcel Vela, Defence Minister Nicolae Ciuca, Economy Minister Virgil Popa, Health Minister Nelu Tataru, Minister of Labour and Social Protection Violeta Alexandru, Minister of Justice Catalin Predoiu, and head of the Emergency Department Raed Arafat. AGERPRES
