Fiscal Council says budget revision needed as soon as possible

  The existence of serious problems regarding the provision of the funds necessary for the functioning of some state entities throughout the year, especially in the field of healthcare and, in particular, in terms of emergency care units, highlights the need to pass as soon as possible a budget revision, even a partial one, the Fiscal Council says.In a press release signed by the chairman of the institution, Daniel D?ianu, the Fiscal Council pleads for the prompt identification of an alternative solution that is legally viable and that takes into account the exceptionality of the current moment, given that the current caretaker government cannot resort to the instrument of emergency ordinances for the adoption of a budget revision."Under Article 6 of Law 500/2002 on public finances, as subsequently amended and supplemented, the annual budget laws may be amended during the budgetary year by revision laws drafted no later than November 30, in compliance with the rules and conditions provided by Law 69/2010. In general, the revisions of the consolidated general budget, which correlate the budget planning with the actual implementation, are adopted by emergency ordinances subsequently approved by laws. Given that the current caretaker government cannot use the instrument of emergency ordinances for the adoption of a budget revision, the Fiscal Council pleads for the swift identification of an alternative solution that is legally viable and that takes into account the exceptionality of the current moment. Thus, it is noted that there are serious problems regarding the provision of the funds necessary for the functioning of some budgetary institutions throughout the year, especially in the field of healthcare and, in particular, in terms of emergency care units. These problems highlight the need to pass a budget revision as soon as possible, even partial," according to the council.According to CF, amidst the completion of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), the bills related to the pledged milestones were introduced in Parliament, in the form of legislative initiatives, by the members of the government who are also lawmakers, with the request for emergency talks.CF considers that the same mechanism could also be used for a minimal revision, neutral in relation to the total volume of expenditure and the approved budget balance - without increasing the deficit and without supplementing the financing needs - which would be based on a redistribution among the main public employers by reducing outlays for which a lower degree of implementation was found."Such a legislative initiative can belong to the members of the government who are also lawmakers, being technically substantiated by the Ministry of Finance together with the other ministries involved, with the debate and passage being able to be carried out by Parliament by an emergency procedure," explained CF.