Acting Prime Minister Aureliu Ciocoi said that in the absence of a fully-fledged Government that would amend the state budget law, money for the snap elections will be taken from the reserve fund. He assured there are now no salary and pension arrears, IPN reports.

Aureliu Ciocoi didn’t rule out the possibility that the executive he manages will fulfill its duties until the snap parliamentary elections. If an executive with full powers to amend the state budget law is not voted in until the snap elections, money for the snap parliamentary elections will be taken from the Government’s reserve fund that now totals 161 million lei.

“The CEC estimated the elections at 114 million lei. If we do some simple calculations, we see that not much money will remain in the reserve fund after the snap elections. The reserve fund is used to cover costs that weren’t unplanned in the state budget, but are absolutely necessary,” Aureliu Ciocoi stated in the talk show “Fourth Power” on N4 TV channel.

He noted he expects the Constitutional Court’s decision concerning the Government’s powers. He reminded that the current interim Government cannot negotiate loans or access foreign funds and can only keep the country afloat. As snap elections could be held in June, the state budget would not be rectified by then and the costs should match the expenditure stipulated in the budget law that was adopted last December.  

Aureliu Ciocoi assured that despite the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, there are now no salary and pension arrears.

“All the payments from the state treasury were made. If some of the salaries are overdue, this is due to the local public administration. The payments were fully made.”