Bucharest City Hall asks for EUR 140 mln from central Govt., PM refuses

Bucharest mayor Gabriela Firea urged prime minister Ludovic Orban to supplement its transfers from the state budget to the budget of the municipality by RON 667 million (EUR 140 mln) this year, to cover the expenses.

Moreover she insisted Bucharest should receive each year some 1.5% of GDP from the central government budget since it does not collect local taxes (which go to the district city halls) while the city generates about 25% of Romania’s GDP, and, therefore, large taxes to the state budget.

Prime minister Ludovic Orban said on Friday, December 13, that the Bucharest City Hall’s request for more money was cheeky as the municipality has already received RON 100 million (EUR 21 mln) from the Government’s reserve fund. He added that he wouldn’t accept to pay for mayor Firea’s “nabob companies”, Hotnews.ro reported.

The Bucharest mayor had a harsh reaction, saying that she would file complaints against PM Orban and the finance minister for abuse of office, News.ro reported.

She added that, without this money, the City Hall will be unable to pay for public services such as subsidies for public transport, heating, expenses for the municipality’s 19 hospitals, and continue investments to improve traffic in the city.

The RON 100 mln extended by the Government under the previous budget revision went directly to the heating supplier Elcen, Firea explained.

At the same time, the Bucharest City Hall published a draft decision to cut some of its expenses, namely the sums allotted for churches in the city, by RON 50 million (EUR 10.5 mln), which includes cutting a RON 10 million donation for the People’s Cathedral, according to Mediafax.

(Photo: George Calin/ Inquam Photos)