Marcel Ciolacu: Good afternoon! I would like us to start with good news. Today, ANAF sped up its activity and collected close to its assumed target. In October, the collection reached a record level of 40 billion lei and I am sure that keeping the same pace until the end of the year and keeping non-essential spending under control, we will observe the deficit target agreed with the European Commission. An additional argument is a more sustained action against tax evasion that we have all seen over the past few days. From my point of view, the state institutions eventually started to show determination in the fight against those defrauding the Romanians' money, and removing the tax evaders that steal dozens of billions of lei annually is key to obtaining the money necessary for pensions growth, education, and healthcare. I said it very clearly: there will not be new taxes next year. I want one thing in exchange: I want those who have not paid their taxes so far, those who defrauded the Romanian state and who effectively stole from healthcare, education, and Romanians' pensions to start paying their taxes.
At the same time, we come up with and prove how to keep state spending under control, through fiscal - budgetary measures ordinance, we make sure that important public investment projects will continue. We approve through a memorandum, the necessary exemptions so that the central and especially local authorities can make payments, especially for the National Public Interest Construction Program run by the National Investment Company and the Anghel Saligny National Program. We made this promise to the mayors. It is only natural that we do not jeopardize their whole years work. So, we keep our word. We provide them with funds to make their outstanding payments and reassure them that they can settle further payments.
Another priority is the 2014-2020 European funds, which practically end late this year. Today we approve an emergency ordinance with procedures that allow the early closure of programs related to this financial framework. Todays measures will help us take the absorption rate to over 90%. For the same purpose, today we are allocating 300 million lei to the Ministry of Agriculture, to ensure the co-financing of projects from the National Rural Development Program 2014-2020. We need to complete the investments with European funds, the money to reach the beneficiaries and the invoices to be settled by the European Commission.
Today, the Ministry of Finance submits another important legislative document: we approve the draft law establishing the Investment and Development Bank of Romania. For over a decade, there has been talk about this bank, which exists in all European countries. We finally have it here too. This bank represents the missing link between the money of international financial institutions and Romanias strategic investment projects. We will thus have the appropriate financial instruments for the projects that the countrys economy needs.
Regarding major objectives, because we started building the 2024 budget, I ask all ministers to prioritize their projects, and we will not give up any important program. For example, the Hot School Meal program, which we have extended this year, must continue. And I ask the minister of Education to correctly size this essential program for 2024, especially for children from vulnerable areas.
I am glad that this government also finds time for culture. It is about the National Museum of the History of Romanian Jewry and the Holocaust, a project included in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, with about 17 million euros. I am sure that it is a relevant project and that it will be not only a major cultural landmark, but also an architectural gem that Calea Victoriei in Bucharest will regain; and, just as importantly, it will be instrumental for the efforts to combat discrimination and anti-Semitism, an unfortunately increasingly present phenomenon in Europe and the world.
Source: Gov
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