The package of 2 fiscal measures, explained by experts: “Romania is in a much heavier situation than in 2009. It must be cut even”

Romania is in a much more difficult situation from an economic point of view than in the previous crisis in 2009, the austerity measures imposed by the governors in the package 2 of fiscal measures being far to solve the problem as long as the state continues to spend more than it allows, the economists consulted by Adevări.

Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan urged the reduction of budgetary expenses. Photos photo photos

They stated punctually what are the differences and similarities between the current and 2009 crisis and analyzed the fiscal provisions that the governors announced through package 2 austerity measures.

“The situation is much more serious than in 2009, because The state is much more indebted. And I have come to this situation because all governments, absolutely all that have been in power in the last 35 years have increased irresponsible public spending. They made a deficit after deficit, by deficit, after the deficit, year by year, in all 35 years since the Revolution. It's unacceptable! I reached a public debt of about 60% because politicians spend two hands, but take (collect taxes and taxes – n. Red.) Only with one. We have unintended salaries, non-sensitive pensions, 48-year-old pensioners, groups close to power or power that have been placed above the law and the first of the prey are served, that is, from the taxes and taxes paid by all Romanians. The private environment seems to have learned the 2009 lesson, no politicians. In 2009, the whole world was in crisis, now we are just us.

And in order not to come out the world in the street with forks and axes as in the past, they promise them an allowance, social assistance, or a pension increase or salary. People do not understand that “for free” it actually means paying more, meaning someone comes and steals your money in the wallet to make a gift with them. The major problem in Romania is the challenge that politicians have towards ordinary people“, Economist Radu Nechita told” Adevărul “.

According to him, the proof that the situation is much more serious than in 2009 consists in the data published by Eurostat, which shows that in the last seven years Romania's public expenses have doubled, from 71 billion euros in 2018, to 154 billion euros in 2024.

“I do not know if these measures announced by the Executive are sufficient. In 2009, the measures were more drastic, they cut from salaries, while now they have frozen them. Let's see what savings will be done, punctually, from reducing the number of employees to the state.

From my point of view, you should go on the merger and abolition of some public institutions. We have too many state agencies and institutions ”added Nechita.

Codîrlașu: Cash payments between companies should be banned

The Minister of Finance, Alexandru Nazare, presented the main fiscal measures on Wednesday to be applied in the next period, among which the replacement of the tax of 0.5% on the turnover of multinational with the tax on outsourced profit, the imposition of 25 lei per package from the extra -community space in Romania, if it has a value of less than 150 euros; The obligation of companies to have a bank account, given that almost 700,000 companies with huge state debts have neither card nor bank account; The imposition of a share capital of 8,000 lei at the establishment of a SRL and several other measures for the efficiency of ANAF, meant to improve the collection and tax checks.

Asked what he thinks about the taxation of the multinational that outsourcing the profits, Adrian Codîrlașu, the president of the CFA Romania, told “truth“That there are welcome measures even more as the turnover tax has been replaced by the tax on the outsourced profit.

“There are very good measures, especially those that concern Taxation of multinationals and packages which reach Romania from the extra -community space.

The proposal of the Minister of Finance regarding the taxation of the outsourced profit is much better than the current form of taxation on the turnover. Regarding the obligation imposed on companies to have bank account and card, this is a natural thing. Why the transactions between two companies are made in cash. It should be forbidden for payments to make cash between companies. Here are suspicions of evasion, and ANAF should verify, discover and sanction the evasion ”, added Adrian Codîrlașu.

Negrescu: Measures come to resolve some tax anomalies

For his part, the economic analyst Adrian Negrescu told “Adevărul” that these fiscal measures had to be taken for a long time, because they only come to repair what was wrong in the past.

“The measures announced by the Minister Nazare come to solve some fiscal, economic abnormalities, which strongly affected the business environment. Eliminating the tax on turnover for companies with businesses of over 50 million euros represents an positive step-it was an aberrant tax at European level, which drives investors and inhibits investments in our country.
Taxing intragroup costs, on American model, seems like an optimal solution, but the technical details must be seenthe way it will be applied. The idea is not bad, it can bring to the budget a few billion lei but we have to make sure that we do not violate the European transfer prices and conventions on double taxation. Essentially, I hope to work and determine multinationals to pay more profit tax in Romania ”said Negrescu.

Regarding the obligation to open a bank account for all SRLs, starting January 1, 2026, he said that “It is an absolutely normal measure, in order to reduce tax evasion ””.

“We have, unfortunately, many companies that work without bank accounts, receive only cash through multiple invoices and make various financial fireworks meant to reduce their taxes or bypass them. It's a salutary measure, I hope to clean the business environment, to provide real competition in the business environment. There is a need for general cleaning at ANAF, an elephant caught in a room full of porcelain such as the Romanian economy. The Treasury needs modern procedures, digitalization, modern analysis and control tools that avoid as much human influence. A fiscal system in which digitized data analyzes actively monitor the dynamics of the economy is absolutely essential. To have tools based on AI identifying suspicious transactions, based on data analysis, which identifies carousel VAT networks is absolutely essential. It takes a cold shower at ANAF, a responsibility of the people in this institution, a focus on the areas with risk of evasion, not on the vulnerable companies where the inspectors are given to the small entrepreneurs, who do not benefit from specialized fiscal assistance, of business law ”, the analyst explained.

Main measures in package 2. Nazare: There is a risk of real recession

The Minister of Finance, Alexandru Nazare, presented the main measures in package 2 on Wednesday, including:

– Elimination of the tax of 0.5% of the turnover for companies with business of over 50 million euros – a tax that brought to the budget about 1.5 billion lei annually. Instead, a mechanism will be introduced to pay a tax only the companies that outsource their profits, regardless of size, the Ministry of Finance estimating the same budget impact.

– the obligation to open a bank account for all SRLs, starting January 1. Currently, about 700,000 of the 1.6 million active companies do not have a bank account.

– imposing a share capital of 8,000 lei at the establishment of a SRL.

– measures to make the ANAF activity more efficient, meant to improve the collection and tax checks.

The Minister of Finance, Alexandru Nazare, warned on Wednesday that Romania is at a major risk of recession and that the signals were drawn some time ago, without taking measures.

“There is a risk of a recession, it's a real risk and we need to get readyto have solutions that will help us to go through recession easier. We had to be prepared already, if we analyze the decrease in economic growth every year. Many analysts have warned us, and we have very good analysts in Romania. All I can tell you is that we have to find resources to overcome this moment ”said the minister, at the end of the conference in which he presented the package 2 of austerity measures.

Bolojan asked subordinate institutions to drastically reduce expenses

For his part, the Prime Minister stressed that the Government will apply three main directions for optimizing Romania's budget: reducing operating expenses, including personnel expenses, increasing the efficiency of collecting budget revenues and prioritizing investments.

“Reducing operating expenses means that each institution will establish the necessary personnel and project indicators, so that we offer better services to citizens. We are working on a package of regulations that stipulate the reduction of personnel expenses both in the local and central administration”, Declared Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan.

The Prime Minister requested that by August 22, 2025 the institutions should present proposals for reorganization, increase of efficiency and performance indicators. By the end of August, the Executive will prepare a legislative package regarding the reorganization of these structures.

“Please make a correct calculation. People need to stay on posts according to two criteria: performance and responsibility ”emphasized Ilie Bolojan.

Also, Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan asked the coordinators of the 36 institutions subordinated to the Executive to analyze the salary solutions of the staff, in the context in which, many budgets receive a series of bonuses that are not justified. At the same time, he asked the institutions to analyze the integration of digitization solutions, to become more efficient, given that individual solutions lead to the island of services and increasing costs.

“The budgetary expenses increased, after the first six months, by 12.1%, to 380.3 billion lei. If we want to stay in a deficit target around 8%, we need to cut over 40 billion lei, with almost 5 billion more than the previous government proposed. Where will the money take? The budget apparatus, most of the 40,000 positions to be reduced are budgeted but unoccupied. to reduce the expenses with the staff who, after the first six months, reached a new historical maximum“explained the economic analyst Adrian Negrescu for “truth”.