Parliament approves budget amendments

The majority coalition adopted today amendments to the 2010 national budget as the opposition Communist faction criticized it for not paying enough attention to investment, Info-Prim Neo reports. Under the amendments, the revenues expected for this year exceed 16 billion lei, compared with 15 billion lei planned initially. Expenses remain at 19 billion lei, as the budget deficit reduced from 4 to 3.4 billion lei. Finance Minister Veaceslav Negruta said the surplus 295 million lei accumulated from the beginning of the year will be channeled into the social sector. Some 100 million lei will be allocated for social benefits and 80 million lei will go to supplement the Social Fund. Communist MP Igor Dodon, former economy minister, said the surplus revenues stem from price rises and the depreciation of the leu. “It would have been better if these revenues received from the final consumers returned to them by means of pensions and salaries. This money will not reach the citizens”, said Igor Dodon. The Communists also criticized the government for the failure to allot the surplus money to investment and road repairs. Negruta replied that the Road Fund has been enlarged significantly from the previous government and its amount would further rise. Igor Dodon also said he didn’t understand the need to allocate 30 million lei to the judiciary and 22 million lei to the Ministry of the Interior. Veaceslav Negruta explained the money for the Ministry is intended, among other, to pay pensions to retired employees, while the money for the judiciary will be partly used to build the offices of the Superior Magistracy Council.