Local authorities ask for Government’s support
Local authorities in Romania have asked for solutions from the Government regarding the huge increase in energy bills and for reforms for the application of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan - PNRR.
Daniela Budu, 01.02.2022, 13:50
The representatives of Romanias County Council associations, of the Romanian municipalities, cities and communes have asked for support from the Government to ensure the co-financing of the projects run by the local communities and have also asked for solutions regarding the huge energy bills received by institutions. During a meeting with the Prime Minister, Nicolae Ciucă, the local authorities representatives have expressed their availability to be co-opted in consultations related to the implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, so that the funding should be adapted to the needs of the communities.
They have warned that the failure to make the reforms needed to implement the National Recovery and Resilience Plan – PNRR will turn the local communities into victims. During the discussions, the mayor of Cluj-Napoca (northwest), Emil Boc, has proposed that the guidelines for implementing the Plan should be developed together with the local authorities, because they know best the problems of the communities. Moreover, he has pointed out that Romania will lose money from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan – PNRR if it does not make the necessary reforms.
Emil Boc: Romania risks losing money from the PNRR, if the ministers do not make the reforms required under the PNRR. The collateral victims will be the local administrations. These reforms are not made somewhere outside Romania. They are made by Romania for Romanians. The reforms will make this country much more functional, with benefits for every citizen.
In turn, the mayor of Cugir (central Romania), Adrian Teban, has pointed out that, soon, smaller cities will no longer have money to pay energy bills, which have doubled and, in some cases, have even tripled.
Adrian Teban: “In small and medium-sized cities, the pressure on local budgets is very high, with the rising energy prices. Larger municipalities can afford it. But small cities are facing more pressure.
Regarding the communes’ problems, the local officials have also told the prime minister that in the future they will no longer have money to pay their employees, and the communes will be left without employees. On the other hand, the Government, through the Inter-ministerial Committee Coordinating the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, has promised to take steps to speed up reforms and continue efforts to implement the Plan.
Romania needs balanced modernization and development, so that the investments available through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, as well as the other European and national funds, should benefit in a fair and integrated manner all communities and all citizens – the PM said during the meeting. At the same time, he has reviewed the measures taken by the Government to protect the population, the economic sectors and public institutions, such as the schools, hospitals and cultural institutions, from the effects of rising energy prices. (LS)
