PM Bolojan says 35% of "Anghel Saligny" Program projects to continue

Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan announced on Monday that 35% of the projects within the "Anghel Saligny" National Investment Program would continue, pointing out that the measures taken are necessary in the situation Romania finds itself in.

"You can realize that the measures that the Government takes every day are often not popular measures, neither among the citizens of our country, nor among the administration or other institutions that are targeted by these measures. Consequently, I do not expect support when these measures are adopted, but their implementation is necessary due to the difficult situation that Romania finds itself in. (...) It is often no pleasure for me, if I may say so, to implement such measures, but there are no other solutions. (...) You can only take such measures in the context in which you adopt them every day, in which you work against time, because every day in which you do not do what is necessary means high costs for Romania. Of course, this can create dissatisfaction, it can create certain perceptions, conceptions related to one consultation or another, but still "what we are doing is in line with the government program, these are included in the government program and all attack systemic problems, big problems," Bolojan said on B1TV.

According to the prime minister, the correct calculation of personnel in all institutions cannot be avoided at the central level. At the same time, he asks local authorities to carry out the reform in public administration.

He added that there is a significant number of investments started from the national budget, investments that had an allocated amount this year, but which is almost completely consumed.

"This amount is almost completely consumed. As in the first six months we spent more than we committed to and collected less money than we thought we would collect, we have no way to allocate additional significant amounts to practically double the allocations that were consumed in the first six-seven months. In this situation, by analyzing what we can do in the following period, we proceeded both according to the legal provisions that say that, when you no longer have a source of financing, you notify the authorities and the builders so that they can make their work safe, so that what has been done is not degraded and, at the same time, by analyzing the capacity to still find some financing from within the Ministry of Development through which these projects are carried out, so that we can continue the projects that are in an advanced stage of execution", explained Bolojan.

The Prime Minister mentioned that, at the proposal of the Ministry of Development, the decision was made to continue the road projects that are 80% complete.

"If we were to intersect these projects, it would mean that 35% of the projects on 'Anghel Saligny' would continue. So, we proceeded both legally, because there was no more funding, but also by making a prioritization that is based on the implementation schedule. The more we achieved, the more we can finish them. What will we do? Regardless of who is in government, there is no longer the possibility of continuing these projects at the amounts that were contracted without anyone thinking that a phasing was needed. And then, in the second half of the year, we will prioritize these projects and by the end we will make some governmental and coalition decisions, which will be the prioritization criteria, depending on the field in which these projects are, some are on roads, some on water, others on sewage, some on gas, depending on the stage of these works, if they are more advanced, if they are less advanced, depending on possible by the co-financing that a local authority can grant or by other financial mechanisms that are related to things that do not further affect our deficit. Any options through which we affect the deficit are not sustainable. And then, I consider that we have acted correctly, both from the point of view of legal provisions, but also from the point of view of the ability to ensure at least part of the financing, so that they can continue", the prime minister detailed.

Bolojan specified that from next year these projects that have been started would be phased, "but certainly not with a very large amount", because it is the year in which the financing with European funds from the PNRR needs to be closed and part of these also enter the deficit.

"Therefore, we must close these. After they are closed next year, 2027-2028 are years in which the budget for these 'Anghel Saligny' type projects can be increased again, because I was also elected locally, I know what the importance of projects that reach our communities means, because it means an asphalt road, it means, perhaps, a sewage or water supply that people benefit from", the prime minister added.