Romania pays commissions for not using four billion euros awarded by EIB and EBRD. Elsewhere in the news, Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs intends to close 14 international missions. Last but not least, World Bank officials criticised Romanian Minister of Economy Adriean Videanu.
Romania pays commissions for not using four billion euros awarded by the European Investment Bank (EIB) and by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), vice-prime minister Dan Nica stated on Tuesday, Cotidianul informs. The money is not used because it would increase the budget deficit agreed with the European Commission (EC) and with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Nica said during "Private Government", a debate organised by Business Standard, it was not allowed to spend more than the deficit, except if Romania dropped its EC duties and decided to go for a 10% GDP deficit.
Lacking financing is a false issue, according to Nica. The four billion euros contracted in 2005, 2006 and 2007 "must be probably spent according to certain rules, auctions. These are EIB and EBRD money and must be spent accordingly to their rules, it's complicated. Therefore, we preferred investments from the state budget; this money remained unused, so we pay commissions for not using them. Very big commissions have been paid in 2007 and in 2008 as well!” Nica added.
Romanian Ministry of Foreign affairs (MAE) intends to close 14 Romanian international missions, Gandul reads. The embassies in Ethiopia, Peru and Malaysia may be closed and the budgets for other eight missions will be cut by 20%. MAE intends to save money by closing down more embassies in Africa, Asia and South Africa. The final decision is in the hands of President Basescu and PM Boc. Two countries most hit by the crisis, Hungary and Latvia, took the same measure.
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