The draft budgets for next year that were adopted in the first reading contain doubtful costs, as the Party “Dignity and Truth Platform” (PPPDA) considers. The party demands to reduce these costs given the current pandemic crisis and proposes a number of amendments, IPN reports.

MP Alexandru Slusari in a press briefing said that the costs for the Ministry of Home Affairs for 2021 are to be increased by 226 million lei, for the Ministry of Justice – by 204 million, for the Ministry of Defense – by 155 million lei, for the SIS – by 45 million lei, etc. Many of these costs are not justified and should be reviewed. The allocation of 76 million lei for the National Arena and of 11 million lei for setting up embassies in Belarus and Turkey and the consulate in Ukraine are also unjustified.

The PPPDA suggests increasing the agriculture subsidization fund for supporting the farmers who cultivate second-group grain crops by 800 million lei.

MP Liviu Vovc said the Government’s report shows the pensions next year will be increased by only 0.6% in April and by 0.2% in October. The Government planned no one-off allowances for supporting pensioners. The PPPDA suggests that 580 million lei should be earmarked in the state social insurance budget so that the recipients of pensions and social benefits get by 900 lei in support in January.

According to MP Inga Grigoriu, another amendment increases the agriculture subsidization fund from 1.1 to 1.9 billion lei for supporting the farmers affected by drought, by excluding the allocations intended for the National Arena and for the embassies in Belarus and Turkey and the consulate in Odessa.

The party suggests that the population support fund should be raised by 6 million lei and that 5 million lei should be allocated for reconstructing the building of the Ombudsman’s Office, said MP Igor Munteanu.

MP Stela Macari noted that the PPPDA proposes increasing the fund for the program “Diaspora Succeeds at Home “DAR 1+3” from 5 million lei to 40 million lei.