Romanian Fin Min To Present Social Partners First Budget Version Mon

The ministry will discuss Tuesday with social partners the budgetary impact of the anti-crisis measures proposed by the government’s working groups and the available sums for these measures, Hossu added.

The first debate on the budget draft for 2009 will take place Friday in the Government’s meeting. The Cabinet aims to send the budget draft to the Parliament by January 24.

Finance minister Gheorghe Pogea said Tuesday that Romania’s consolidated budget deficit will be between 2% and 2.5% of the gross domestic product in 2009, but any allotment that will push the gap above 2% of the GDP will be made exclusively for public investments.

The minister also said that public investments are the only actions that might relaunch the economic growth, “or, more accurate, might limit the slowdown.”

For 2009, the ministry takes into account an average exchange rate of RON4 to the euro.