Romania Needs No Renegotiation Of IMF Deal – Caretaker PM

Boc said the government honored its commitments to the international partners, even if the Parliament chose to postpone adopting a new law on pensions as required under the IMF deal.

„As to the pension law, the lawmakers preferred to postpone it so they can keep their privileges and special pensions. We have the law on fiscal responsibility; it’s ready and it will be submitted in Parliament next week (…) so that the government will have honored all its commitments. The third pledge is to adopt the state budget by the end of the year,” Boc said.

He mentioned the interim government is still working on the draft budget for 2010, which will be handed over to the new government on November 4.

Romanian President Traian Basescu said Monday that he made „great efforts” to have the IMF deal revised, as Romania will not be able to honor its pledged whose deadline expire in December.

Romania and the IMF signed in spring a two-year standby arrangement for EUR12.95 billion, as part of a wider EUR19.95 billion aid package the country took from the EU, the World Bank and other foreign lenders to cope with the recession.

Last week, the IMF said that a mission will be in Romania October 28 through November 9 to review the country’s economic progress, reconsidering earlier plans to delay the mission until a new government is formed.

Romania has already received around EUR7 billion from the IMF and it relies on a third EUR1.5 billion disbursement scheduled for December to pay wages and pensions.