The wage law. How many of the budget holders are likely to receive more money and the amount allocated by the government for 2027
The government promised that, through the new salary law, which must be adopted by the end of August, the income of no budget will be reduced. On the other hand, not all state employees will benefit from the increases, and the increases will not be consistent.
A new salary law is a milestone within the PNRR, and in case of non-compliance with the deadline, Romania will lose 700,000,000 euros.
A “prudent” increase in wages
In an intervention on Antena 3, the interim Minister of Finance, Alexandru Nazare, confirmed that the amount of the amount with which the salary fund for budget officers will be supplemented has been determined.
“It is true that we sent an address to the Ministry of Labor related to the wage bill envelope, which is indeed around 7.2 billion lei for next year,” said Nazare.
The minister said that the amount allocated to the increases is calculated cautiously, due to economic uncertainties.
“It is a prudent tire for 2027, considering the many uncertainties that hover over the closure of the PNRR program, the continuation of certain projects at the end of the year, the investments that will take place also in 2027 and the fiscal-budget trajectory this year,” Nazare said.
No increases for budget workers
According to sources cited by Digi24.ro, slightly more than half of the state employees will benefit from salary increases in 2027. The final form in which the money will be distributed will be decided following the simulations carried out at the Ministry of Labour.
Another essential change will be the elimination of the increments that state employees now receive. The amounts that are now given to budget workers in this form will be included in the basic salary, including the food allowance.
The only increase that will be granted in the future will be the one granted for the management of projects with European funds, which can reach up to 40% of the salary.
Digi24 sources also said that a first form of the project was already completed on April 24 at the Ministry of Labor, and was later sent to Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan.
A project discussed with the parliamentary parties
A limited increase in budgeters' incomes was publicly announced on May 14, in a briefing at the Government, supported by Prime Minister Bolojan and Interim Minister of Labour, Dragoș Pîslaru.
“Today we have disproportionately high expenses compared to budget revenues (…) We have wage policies disconnected from the dynamics of labor productivity. The wage gap between private and public is deepening. We have a situation in which Romania has among the lowest tax revenues in the EU but will have the highest wage expenditures as a share of tax revenues, at 40%,” said Ilie Bolojan.
Noting that his government had been dismissed, the prime minister said the draft Wages Act would be negotiated with the political parties in order to get the parliamentary support it needs for adoption.
“Today we have 166 billion lei in salary expenses, i.e. 8.1%. We have only two real possibilities: a small amplitude increase or if larger increases are desired, the only solution is to reduce the staff where it is not justified”, said Ilie Bolojan.
He stated that the mediation process between the parties on this topic was taken over by the president Nicușor Dan, with the direct involvement of the presidential advisor for Economic and Social Policies, Radu Burnete.
