Romanian Govt OKs Program Providing Pensioners With Cheap Food Products

The normative act, presented by MEDIAFAX early August, states that the food products will be sold to pensioners through companies set up by the local authorities, which will purchase the products through auctions and charge a markup to cover their expenses.

The pensioners' "solidarity basket" will include flour, sugar, oil, maize, rice and other products with a long shelf life, chosen by the county council (or General Council in the case of Bucharest).

According to the act, county councils and local councils can set up companies to sell these basic food products to pensioners.

The document pointed out that the program is not a budgetary burden, since it gives no subsidies or financial aid, and there is no impact on VAT collections; the act does not state a source for the funds used to purchase the products through auction.

The National State Reserve Administration will provide storage space for the products, for a fee set by order of the minister of Interior.

The quantity that may be purchased each month through the program by one pensioner will be set by joint order of the minister of Interior and the minister of Health.

Other organizational rules will be established through county council decisions.

To implement the program, local authorities may collaborate with non-governmental organizations involved in pensioner assistance, says the document.

The document was approved by the Government through a memorandum at the end of July.

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