Romania’s finance minister Eugen Teodorovici speaking in a TV show on June 11 stressed that ministers who do not observe the 2019 payroll budget will be fined RON 100,000 (EUR 21,000), according to the emergency ordinance (OUG) 114/2018, local Adevarul reported.

He warned the ministries to pay particular attention to the expenditures made for missions outside the country (included in the personnel expenditures), which are particularly costly for the budget. The measure will also apply to him, Teodorovici said, if he does not respect the cap.

Speaking of the letter circulated among ministries urging them to cut payroll costs where possible, Teodorovici explained that bonuses are being paid even when not necessary, such as a bonus for “dust”. There was a practice of hiring personnel above the staff budgeted at the beginning of the year, and some bonuses were given for no reason, he explained. Such practices have been constant along the time. However, the finance minister firmly denied any plans for cutting the personnel in the budgetary system.

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