Farmers can access a loan of 500,000 lei, guaranteed by the state in a proportion of 90%, starting with March 1, Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Vladimir Bolea said in reaction to farmers’ recent protests. He assured that the problem of Romanian diesel fuel will be solved shortly. For their part, the protesting farmers say that their protests are not political and their demands are strictly economic in character, IPN reports.
The protesting farmers noted that their demands have not changed and they ask the authorities to speed up the payment of subsidies, distribute the diesel fuel promised by the Romanian government and reschedule the loans. The farmers assure that their protests do not have a political connotation.
“If you find any political statement in farmers’ demands, then I will agree that the protest is political in character, but the demands of the farmers protesting are strictly economic in nature. The diesel fuel from Romania has not reached the Republic of Moldova to this day. Taking into account the tense situation in Romania, where farmers are on the streets, that ordinance may not be respected and diesel fuel may not come. The minister for many times said that AIPA was reformed, but we have delays anyway. According to the law, post-investment subsidies must enter the accounts within 60 days, but there are very long delays and the farmers do not receive this money. We didn’t ask for the loans to be paid by someone. We only asked to reschedule them,” farmer Sergiu Stefanco stated in the talk show “Good Evening” on the public television channel.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry said that farmers’ demands are satisfied within the limits of budget restrictions. The issue of diesel fuel donated by the Romanian government has become the direct prerogative of the Prime Minister and will soon be solved.
“The Ministry of Agriculture doesn’t discuss with farmers based on demands, ultimatums. The Ministry of Agriculture proposed and on March 1 the offer of 500,000 lei guaranteed by the state in a proportion of 90% will enter into force. The farmers, even if they have payments that are over 90 days overdue and have rescheduled loans, will be able to go to the bank to take out this loan of 500,000 lei. Today, the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Internal Affairs are directly solving the diesel fuel problem. The diesel fuel is in Romania. The Romanians will send it and the farmers will receive it,” said Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Bolea, Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry.
Representatives of the Association “Farmers’ Force” announced that farmers’ protests will resume on Friday, starting at 10 a.m. The farmers said the road to the Leușeni-Albița border crossing point and some of the national roads will be blocked.
