Declarații ale premierului Marcel Ciolacu la începutul ședinței de Guvern

Marcel Ciolacu: Good morning! I am glad, first of all, that we have the budget for 2024 voted by the Parliament with almost 300 votes because the incomes of over 12 million Romanians depend on this budget, incomes that will increase next year. And if having scandal in the Parliament is the price that I need to pay, as prime minister, so that the pensioners receive their increased pensions on time in January, Ill accept it without any hesitation. My task, as prime minister, is to make sure that in 2024 the money from the budget goes where it is needed. This budget guarantees that we will continue to build motorways at the same pace, that we will pay the teachers better, and that we will have medicines and better medical services.
Regarding the medicines, we have today a very important decision regarding the 90 percent compensated medicines for pensioners. We extend the category of seniors who are eligible to receive them to include a higher number of pensioners. It is about elderly people with small pensions for whom these medicines are truly vital. In 2024, we increased the health budget by more than 40 percent as this sector represents a priority of this government.
We have eight or nine infrastructure projects on the agenda today: motorways, bypasses and railway electrification. This shows the pace at which this government is working on transport. At the end of this week, a new motorway - Chetani-Campia Turzii - and section 3 of the Pitesti-Craiova Express Road will be opened. I have recently visited both sites with Minister Grindeanu. I am certain that next year there will be well over 100 new kilometres of motorways and expressways inaugurated. That is why, in 2024, transport has a budget almost 30% higher, to deliver according to the expectations of Romanians.
We will approve today an essential draft law in the energy area, the draft law on offshore wind energy will help us use, in addition to the Black Sea gas, another major resource of the country in the seaside area, namely the wind. We have a huge potential, billions of euros worth investments are ready and awaiting this new legislative framework. Now we can use this potential to produce green and cheap energy for Romanians' benefit.
Also in the energy chapter, we are earmarking state aid of 350 million lei to the Valea Jiului Energy Complex. We want to gradually decommission coal-based energy production capacities, for energy to be sustainable and take into account Romanias economic interests. As we did in the recent meetings, we are still earmarking funds to the local public administration today. There are almost 300 million lei, most of which is to fund the legal expenses of the cultural institutions managed locally. It is about philharmonics, theaters and operas. This government will always be a loyal partner of local public administration and will try to restore culture to its rightful place in society. In conclusion, since it is December 21 and we pay tribute to the memory of the victims of communism, and tomorrow, we mark the victory of the Romanian Revolution, I have a message for the young people of Romania: let them know that this freedom they have today - and which seems natural to them - has been paid for with the lives of thousands of heroes. Thank you very much!

Source: Gov