The Minister of Investments and European Projects, Marcel Boloş, says that a reduction in personnel expenses in the ministry he leads would only ensure an “insignificant” economy, but this would endanger the attraction of European funds worth 80 billion euros – the task that its employees have.
Marcel Boloș says that the structures in the ministry are required by the European Commission and they should not be disturbed.
The government is looking for solutions to cover a hole of 20 billion lei, context in which the prime minister asked the ministers to come up with their own spending reduction program.
“I don’t think that the Ministry of Investments and European Projects can generate an economy of expenditure so that we have an impact of 20 billion lei (…) The fact is that we have a rigor in terms of the operational structures of the ministry and regardless of whether The Ministry of Finance is looking for money, I don’t think anyone can afford to compromise 80 billion euros, which is money that, in the situation where your structures do not work, the implementation of those budgets is suspended and the money is not given to you until you have the functional structures “, said Boloș at TVR Info.
“I don’t think that by means of these measures that concern a cut of the operating expenses of a ministry we solve 20 billion lei, especially where you have ministerial structures in which you can put 80 billion euros at risk. I said every time, and in the Government meetings, these things are not for fun because they are followed directly by the European Commission and non-functional structures mean the suspension of money and the compromising of the investments that Romania has”, added the minister.
Marcel Boloș added that the milestone that Romania must meet in the second quarter of this year stipulates that the increases that budget workers receive will not be able to exceed 20% of their salary. Currently, at the Ministry of European Projects, employees receive 50% raises.
The minister said there are directors in the ministry who earn more than him because of these increases.
“I didn’t take care of such internal competitions, in quotes. I always looked for the result. Ok, you get the salary corresponding to the complexity and responsibility you have. (…) I have, net, 12,167 lei and there are management positions with higher salaries than the minister’s, but all those who work with these European funds, all are in a situation where they have the 50% increase in funds. (…) A general director has 3,000 euros . It can reach up to 3,000 euros. (…) It is not a salary that we should consider distorted compared to what exists at the European level,” Boloş also said.
He added that part of the salaries of the ministry’s employees are provided by the European Commission, not by the Romanian state.
Editor :
D.R.
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