PM Marcel Ciolacu: We have reached agreement with European Commission on fiscal plan to reduce deficit

The Government "has reached an agreement" with the European Commission on the fiscal plan to reduce the deficit, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Wednesday, stressing that it is essential that the EC experts agreed that Romania needs the required period of 7 years to carry out major investment projects in the economy."We have reached an agreement with the European Commission on the fiscal plan. It is essential that the Commission experts agreed that Romania needs a period of 7 years to make massive investments in the economy. This is the only way we will reach the EU average in terms of development, citizens' incomes and living standard in general. There is also an agreement on the idea that if the deficit is lower than investments, then we are on a healthy trajectory," Ciolacu said at the beginning of the Government meeting.He added that, obviously, in parallel, the state "must make an effort to reduce spending, so that the economic balance be consolidated in the coming years.""Therefore, investments will grow in the coming years and we will continue to invest massively in the economy and in infrastructure," the prime minister said.But a Commission spokesperson for economic affairs told Reuters that it has agreed with Romania to extend its deadline to file the medium-term plan to Jan. 31."Since we have not received Romania's plan yet, we cannot comment on its content," the spokesperson said."Ahead of the submission of the plan, the Commission is engaging in technical dialogues with member states, including with Romania, with the objective of ensuring that the plans comply with all the requirements set out in the legislation."Romania has yet to unveil a 2025 budget plan, but analysts and ratings agencies expect some measure of tax hikes to be enforced to shore up public finances.The coalition government has raised the minimum wage and has raised state pensions twice this year.Romania has the EU's fastest rise in wage costs and its widening budget deficit is limiting the central bank's room to cut interest rates.