\n3.3 million low-income
\npensioners will benefit from state aid to cope with recent price
\nhikes, according to a government decision. Next month, people with
\npensions below 2,000 lei (the equivalent of 400 euros), will receive
\nbenefits in the form of a single payment of around 140 euros. State
\nsecretary Cristian Vasilcoiu says
\nthe measure will account for 2% of the total pension budget for this
\nyear. He explained:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\nThe government has adopted
\nan emergency order providing for a single payment of 700 lei in July
\nfor all pensioners with incomes below 2,000 lei, benefiting both
\npublic sector pensioners and pensioners with state army pensions,
\nveterans, survivors, spouses, people who were subject to ethnic and
\npolitical persecution and people who carried out forced labour during
\nthe communist regime.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\nThe government is also
\nconsidering increasing the value of meal vouchers, a decision which
\nrequires, however, the political backing of the ruling coalition
\nformed by the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party and
\nthe Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians.
\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\nThe Save Romania Union in
\nopposition says the government took too long to take these measures
\nand that it’s too little anyway to cover the needs of low-income
\npensioners. The Union calls for a reduction in
\npublic spending, granting aid to the most vulnerable categories
\nand VAT cuts for
\nenergy. The coordinator of the Save Romania Union’s department for
\npublic policies,
\nCristian Ghinea:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\nIt’s an insult for
\npeople, given the
\ninflation rate, the increase in all prices, for
\nthe government to be so slow to act and offer such ridiculously
\nsmall amounts,
\nand they’re not even
\nguaranteed. We are again calling for a reduction in
\npublic spending and social measures targeted to the people who need
\nthem, as well as effective measures to bring down the prices. The
\nbest way to cut the energy price is to lower the VAT, something we
\nproposed as early as last autumn, because most of these increases go
\nto the state in the form of tax and the state can simply let the
\npeople have the money instead so that we are all a little less
\naffected by the rise in energy prices.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\nOther social and economic
\nmeasures are also coming into force on 1st
\nJuly, such as the postponement for nine months of bank rates for
\ncitizens and companies in financial difficulty as a result of recent
\ncrises. On the other hand, commentators are wondering how long will
\nRomania be able to cope under the pressure of the budget deficit and
\nlarge government debt. The government has promised, however, that it
\nwill take measures to ensure fiscal consolidation and compliance with
\nits budget deficit commitments. (CM)<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Pensioners with low incomes to receive state aid.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":110,"featured_media":83731,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[37738],"tags":[35664],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-92409","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-today-in-the-news","tag-benefits"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n