The leader of the National Liberal Party (PNL), Ludovic Orban, stated on Sunday at a press conference in Brasov that liberals have submitted to Parliament two draft laws, the first one providing the full income tax transfer as a source of income for local budgets, and the second one providing that 80% of the royalties from the exploitation of the subsoil will be a source of income for local budgets, part of it for the budget of the locality, and the other part for the county council budget.
“PNL has submitted to the Parliament two draft laws that we deem very important and that were included in the PSD-ALDE governing program anyway, being applicable from January 1, 2018. The first draft law is the full income tax transfer as a source of income for local budgets, 63% directly to the localities, and the rest of it being sent to the county council or divided based on a formula at the state budget level” Orban stated.
He mentioned that liberals also submitted a draft law providing that “80% of the royalties from the exploitation of the subsoil will be a source of income for local budgets, part of it for the budget of the locality, and the other part for the county council budget”.
Orban says that these measures are necessary, since the Government “has literally robbed the local administration” by the GEO no.79/2017.
“It is imperative that these measures will be implemented, since the Government has literally robbed the local administrations by the Ordinance no.79 and especially by the State Budget Law. More than EUR 1 billion have been taken from the revenues of these local administrations, and all the investment projects started or to be started, developed by these local administrations, are questioned because this robbery of the Government against the local administrations. Especially against the performant local administration that generated jobs, that attracted investments in localities, that managed to create a living standard above the average for the inhabitants of the administered local communities. It’s not an accident that most of these administrations are liberal administrations, and the biggest robbery made by this Government was from the local budgets, better said from the money of these local communities, which was absolutely necessary for carrying out the investment programs” the liberals’ Chairman claimed.
According to him, the PSD governing program provided that the objective was supposed to be accomplished by January 1, 2018, and the liberals, who didn’t have this objective, supported the amendment related to the full transfer of the income tax to the local communities, to the local budgets. Although, Orban claims that the parliamentary majority made an addition, and the income from the pension tax was supposed to be transferred to the local budgets, according to the governing program.
“The governing program provided that the Government has to accomplish this objective starting on January 1, 2018. The debate of the State Budget Law was like in Kafka. The liberals, who didn’t have this objective in their governing program, supported the amendment providing the full transfer of the income tax to the local communities, to the local budgets, and the PSD-ALDE-UDMR majority, whose governing program was providing this objective starting from January 1, 2018, made an addition, according to which the income from the pension tax was supposed to the local budgets, in accordance to the governing program. They voted against their own commitment established by the governing program. They changed the term for the implementation of this measure, namely the transfer of the income tax to the local budgets, to January 1, 2019. We want to see the good faith of the parliamentary majority, namely if they will vote our draft laws to be applicable in the new budget year, starting from January 1, 2019, although I really doubt that they will keep their promise starting from January 1, 2019” Orban concluded.
Romania’s public debt has increased by EUR 5.5 billion
The national leader of the liberals stated on Saturday that Romania’s public debt has increased by EUR 5.5 billion, in the circumstances in which PSD has invested in nothing and all the money were “thrown on electoral gifts”. Orban claims that this is the price of the indifference, of the non-participation to public life and to voting.
“In 2017, Romania’s public debt (meaning the debt of each Romanian citizen) has increased by EUR 5.5 billion, in the circumstances in which PSD build nothing, no motorway sections, no new hospitals, no new production facilities, no new railway sections, no new hydroelectric power station, nothing. All the money was thrown on electoral gifts” Ludovic Orban wrote on his Facebook account.
The PNL Chairman also claims that given the budget and the PSD promises, the expectations regarding the increase of Romania’s debt for this year are between EUR 7 and 9 billion.
“In 2018, given the budget and their promises, the expectations regarding the public debt are between EUR 7 and 9 billion. They will make this debt increase even more, every year in which they will have the power” Orban says.
He also says that the current government follows the principle “after us, the deluge” and that this is the price of indifference, of non-participating to public life and to voting, urging people to vote next time, but not to vote PSD.
“The irresponsible people who are ruing us today act according to the principle AFTE US, THE DELUGE. They put this burden on our shoulders and on our children’s shoulders, affecting negatively the income of each Romanian citizen on a medium and long term. This is the price we pay for indifference and for non-participating to public life and to voting. Next time, go voting, and don’t vote them ever again!” the PNL leader concludes.
On Zamfir’s exclusion: I’m not happy to do this, honestly, but I have to. There’s no PSD leader matching Zamfir as regards the attacks on PNL
Orban also said on Sunday, at a press conference held in Brasov, that the exclusion proposal related to Senator Daniel Zamfir came because he didn’t observed the decisions of the leadership and he systematically attacked the party. According to Orban, no PSD leader has managed to match Zamfir as regards the attacks on PNL.
“I made the exclusion proposal (from the party – e.n.). The reason on which this proposal is based are the non-observance of the decisions issued by the statutory bodies of the party and the systematic attacks on the PNL leadership, against the PNL leaders” Ludovic Orban stated.
He said that he has been monitoring the press for four months, and no PSD leader has managed to match Zamfir as regards the attacks on PNL.
“I made a press monitoring over the past four months, and there’s no PSD leader to match Zamfir as regards the attacks against PNL and against the PNL leadership. I’m not happy to do this, honestly, but i have to do it, because PNL has enough opponents and the most dangerous opponents are always thos you don’t know. You know that say: “God, protect me from enemies, and I’ll take care of my friends’” the PNL leader stated.
Asked if there’s no problem for the party to lose a senator by excluding Daniel Zamfir, Orban replied: “I am sure that PNL’s representation in Parliament will be as strong and determined as until now, even though this decision will be taken”.
The PNL National Executive Bureau decided at the end of March to exclude Senator Daniel Zamfir from the party; Daniel Zamfir was the Chairman of the Economic Committee of the Senate, and the initiator of the law establishing a ceiling for the interest rates on bank loans. The PNL leader Ludovic Orban stated at the end of the meeting that he was patient enough wit Zamfir, to whom he gave three public warnings.
The decision establishing the exclusion of Senator Daniel Zamfir was adopted by the PNL National Executive Bureau with 25 pros, two cons and two null votes. Alina Gorghiu and Marian Petrache were the ones who proposed an easier sanction. The decisions must be validated by the PN National Council.
