Solidarity package for pensioners and vulnerable families. Minister of Labor: “Every penny counts”
The Minister of Labour, Florin Manole, explained how the social solidarity package works, which would support almost 3 million pensioners and over 220,000 families in difficulty. The estimated budget impact is below 3 billion lei, and the social democrats want the measures to be adopted before the approval of the state budget, so that the amounts are enshrined in law and the first installments can be paid before Easter.
The Minister of Labor explained what the solidarity package entails PHOTO: The truth
“Mr. President of the Social Democratic Party, Sorin Grindeanu, said that this pack is a touchstone. And he is right. It's a moment when things will be cut”the minister declared on Antena 3 CNN.
For pensioners, the Government proposes a mechanism already used in previous years, with payments granted before Easter and before Christmas. Pensioners with pensions of up to 1,500 lei would receive 1,000 lei, in two equal installments of 500 lei each. Those with pensions between 1,500 and 2,000 lei would receive 800 lei, and pensioners with incomes between 2,000 and 3,000 lei would benefit from 600 lei, also in two installments.
“It is about 2.8 million pensioners and a budget impact of 2.3 billion lei“, stated Florin Manole.
Targeted support for families and children
In addition to pensioners, the package targets over 225,000 families in the most difficult situations. Among the beneficiaries are children with disabilities, for whom significant increases in the amounts granted are proposed, especially in the case of those who currently receive the smallest aid.
“A child with mild disabilities now receives 50-80 lei per month. We propose that these children reach 200 lei. We are not talking about extraordinary amounts, but for these families every lei counts“, said the minister. The minister wanted to specify that the measures do not represent “a parade” and not a lavish program, but a limited but necessary intervention.
Also, kindergarten tickets for children from very poor families would be doubled, from 133 lei, provided they attend kindergarten. Other measures are aimed at single-parent and two-parent families with extremely low incomes.
“We have approximately 35,000 single-parent families where the average income per adult is no more than 366 lei per month. There are income thresholds you are ashamed to say”Manole pointed out.
“The money returns to the economy, it is a certainty”
The Minister of Labor rejected the idea that these aids would be wasted, arguing that they would go directly to consumption. “It is no theory, it is a certainty. These people spend all their money on the bare necessities. They don't go to bank deposits”he stated.
The budget impact for the component intended for families is estimated at less than 400 million lei.
Asked about the funding sources, Florin Manole indicated that part of the money can come from the increase in the minimum wage, which brings additional revenues to the budget, as well as from higher VAT collections. “Only from VAT, in December, there were almost 13 billion extra lei. Much of that money comes from price hikes, which hit the poor the hardest. Let's return some of that money to them“said the minister.
He also mentioned ANAF's role in increasing collection, but emphasized that inflation remains the main source of these additional revenues.
Adoption of the package, before the budget
According to the minister, PSD's logic is for the package to be adopted before the budget law, so that the funds are caught in time. “I sent this package to the Ministry of Finance. There is empathy, but the sources of funding must also be found. I understand everyone's role”declared Manole.
He concluded that the package could be improved, but warned that the lack of any solution was not acceptable. “I can't understand not having a plan for these people. We are talking about mothers who raise children alone and live on a few hundred lei per month. It doesn't take much empathy here to see that compensation is needed“.
