The transfer of social contributions from employers to employees will also affect the employees of the George Enescu Philharmonic in Bucharest.

The wages of 85 of the Philharmonic’s employees will drop this year due to this new fiscal measure, according to Andrei Dumitriu, the institution’s director. The George Enescu Philharmonic has a total of 212 employees.

“At a monthly level, this means net losses of about RON 47,000,” he added, reports local Digi24.

The social contributions transfer will not only affect the technical staff, but also the artistic one, the director explained. He said the situation was brought to the attention of both the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Culture.

Founded in 1868, the Romanian Philharmonic Society had as purpose the creation of a permanent symphonic orchestra in Bucharest. Its first concert took place in December the same year. After the Palace of the Romanian Athenaeum was inaugurated on March 5, 1889, the concerts of the society started to take place in that location, as they do to this day. After the death of George Enescu, in 1955, the Philharmonic was renamed George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra in his honour.

The social contributions transfer is one of the most important new rules that came into force on January 1, 2018, impacting both local businesses and employees. Companies should increase the employees’ gross salaries by at least 20% so that their net salaries remain the same. Some companies will grant the 20% difference in the form of bonuses until the transfer of social contributions is clear from a legal point of view.

Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Filarmonica "George Enescu" on Facebook)