How to build the budget to keep Romania going?
When devising the 2011 budget, which is already being discussed,
a key question cannot be avoided: how can the 36 billion RON (that
is 8 billion euros) gap between spending and revenues be
narrowed?
Where can the Government cut 1 or 2 billion euros in expenses and
where can it boost revenues by 1 or 2 billion euros so that the
budget deficit could go down towards 5 billion euros, that is 4% of
GDP?
The equation is simple: on the one hand, we have about 46 billion
euros in expenses, and, on the other, about 38 billion euros in
revenues. The deficit stands at 8 billion euros, that is 7% of GDP.
What will the Government do to bring the deficit down to 5 billion
euros, namely where can 3 billion euros come from?
More than one quarter of the consolidated budget revenues, i.e. 11
billion euros, come from VAT and excise duties. These have already
been raised, so a new hike is out of the question.
Another 8 billion euros are revenues from social contributions
going towards pensions. Can the social security contribution (CAS)
be increased? The business sector would probably hit the roof,
considering an employer's expenses for a 1,000 RON net wage amount
to 1,800 RON because of the very high CAS.
An increase in the health insurance contribution would also add to
the employer's payroll expenses, and the revenues of the
self-funded institutions are parafiscal taxes that have already
gone up over the last few years.
This leaves the profit tax, the income tax or the property
tax.