Budget debate scheduled to begin on November 17

The debate over next year’s State budget and Social security budget laws by the Parliament will begin on November 17. The MPs have until next week to submit their amendments to these law drafts, which will be debated by parliamentary committees from October 28 through October 30. As soon as the specialised committees endorse the drafts, they will reach the budget-finance committees and then the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies will convene for a joint session to debate them on November 17.

The Health Ministry might get more than 9,500bn ROL to pay for the national health care programmes. The public health programme’s budget in the draft is 1,433.8bn ROL, 12% more than in 2003.

The Constitutional Court’s 2004 strategy is no different from the one in 2003, but the state budget draft provides for a 20bn ROL increase in the institution’s spending, to be used for buying vehicles, among others. Personnel expenses are supposed to be 41% higher than this year and the number of positions should increase from 93 to 95.

The Administration and Interior Ministry’s priorities for 2004 are the administration reform and ensuring the public peace and national security. The budget estimated to cover its 2004 expenses is more than 36,000bn ROL, 5,700bn ROL higher than last year.

The Agriculture Ministry will get 28,000bn ROL from the state budget next year, that is about 10,000bn ROL (250 million euros) more than in 2003. Besides the 28,000bn ROL, the Ministry will also get 17,293bn ROL in non-repayable SAPARD and Phare funds and another 1,264bn ROL in non-repayable foreign loans.

At the same time, the budget draft of the Ministry of Transport, Constructions and Tourism provides for 137.68bn ROL (about 3.4 million euros) as touristic marketing and promotion budget to be allotted in 2004, which is 13% higher than in 2003.