Ion Cheban
Despite the six-month delayed discussion of the main financial document, Mayor Ion Ceban told reporters that the capital is coping without an approved budget. “All planned programs, from small to large, are being implemented according to plan,” he said. – There are no delays in salaries, debts are not accumulating. City Hall has enough funds until the end of 2025 and even for part of 2026.”
The mayor general said he proposed that councilors approve the budget in two readings at once. Consultations with the factions continue. Ion Ceban explained why he does not support the proposal to introduce separate compensations for heating, put forward by PAS and PSRM. He believes that they could be perceived as discriminatory towards the inhabitants of other regions of the country.
“There are obligations that are the competence of the state, of the government. Compensations for heating are among them,” the capital’s mayor said. – The funds provided to our country for these purposes should be distributed equally for all. This was explained to me both in Brussels and in Washington”.
However, the municipality council should approve the budget soon, so that it can include the additional 100 million lei that the government allocated to the municipality during the last budget adjustment, explains Corneliu Pîntea, a municipal councilor from the MAN party.
They are meant for the feeding of pupils from grades 5-12 starting September 1 this year. Without an approved budget, the procedure will be prolonged and complicated.
“We hope that the council can agree and prove its political maturity to use these funds,” says Corneliu Pîntea. – The municipality is working on last year’s budget, as the law allows it. But there is a big difference between last year and this year in terms of expenses. The energy tariffs were increased in winter. The increase ranges from 40% to 70%. Accordingly, the costs of the municipality have increased. In order to cover them, we have to freeze some projects. Only in the first two months of this year, such expenses increased by 400 million lei. They were reimbursed to the municipality from the state budget. Plus, the government added 100 million lei within the last adjustment. Therefore, it is right that they should reach the addressees sooner”.
