The Bucharest City Hall will not spend money on statues, automobiles and will not make donations for the People's Cathedral, mayor Nicusor Dan announced on March 15, unveiling the municipality's RON 5 billion (just over EUR 1 bln) budget for the year.

He stressed that some institutions would receive ten or a hundred times less money this year.

"The Directorate of Architecture-Landscape, an institution subordinated to the Bucharest City Hall, deals with money allocation for churches and statues. Its total budget is around RON 1 million (EUR 200,000) this year. It will come up with the list of projects," says Nicusor Dan, quoted by Economica.net.

The biggest investment project mayor Dan announced (RON 140 mln, EUR 28 mln from municipality's money) consists of repairing the city's central heating system.

The municipality will also pay EUR 35 mln (EUR 7 mln) to consolidate the buildings at risk in case of earthquakes.

Other relevant investment projects are in hospitals (EUR 7 mln) and the infrastructure needed for UEFA 2020 European Football Championship (EUR 4 mln).

The City Hall will also spend nearly EUR 1 mln for smart traffic control and nearly the same amount of money to redesign the Urban General Development Plan (PUG).

The bulk of Bucharest's budget will go into heating and public transport subsidies - RON 2.1 bln (EUR 430 mln) - and paying about RON 2 bln worth of debts.

(Photo: Nicusor Dan Facebook Page)

andrei@romania-insider.com