Measures for farmers, transporters and the healthcare system
In Bucharest, the Government adopted new measures, which meet the demands of farmers and transporters
Corina Cristea, 26.01.2024, 14:00
Unhappy with the impact of EU environmental policies and the inflow of Ukrainian agricultural products into the EU, which affects productivity and competitiveness, farmers in an increasing number of European countries resorted to protests. Romania, Poland, Germany, Spain, Lithuania, the Netherlands and France are among the countries where farmers have taken to the streets to make their demands known.
In Romania, the protests of farmers and, in recent weeks, also of transporters, prompted the Bucharest government to adopt several measures to meet their demands. Thus, the government has decided to allocate approximately 14.5 million euro for beef cattle and buffalo breeders. Around 25 million euros will be granted to pig breeders and 30.5 million euros to bird breeding farmers. The money will reach the farmers by the end of June.
Another form of aid that the Government will grant to farmers is subsidizing the excise duty on the diesel fuel used in agriculture. More precisely, farmers will receive, under the form of subsidies, 25% of the cost of the diesel fuel they use in agriculture. For the farmers affected by drought in 2023, the government has adopted an emergency order that allows them to postpone the payment of bank installments, until their economic recovery. „As regards transporters, we are coming up with a solution that solves an important demand of transporters”, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announced, which is „changing the legal framework so that truck drivers will no longer be fined for vignette expiry if they have to wait long hours at the customs”.
At the same time, the Financial Supervisory Authority announced that a new formula is in place for the calculation of the recommended insurance policy for high-risk insured persons and legal entities, who own transport vehicles with a maximum authorized weight of over 16 tons. This is one of the solutions for protecting mandatory car insurance policyholders, a solution negotiated with representatives of transporters and insurance companies. A bill submitted to the Senate also contains other discussed measures, such as the possibility of suspending the effects of the mandatory car insurance policy contract, the damage certificate and the electronic monitoring of the validity of the insurance, through the network of traffic surveillance cameras. As far as healthcare employees are concerned, a 20% total increase in salaries in the healthcare field in 2024 was agreed, of which 5% has already been paid through the budget increases, starting from 1st January. (EE)
