Premier Adrian Nastase on Wednesday said that the Government was planning a 3% cut in the contributions to be paid by companies to several budgetary funds next year.
He announced that the Government was planning to give up the 2% contribution paid by the companies to the Education Fund and decrease the contribution for the disabled by 1%. The quota to be paid to the social solidarity fund currently stands at 3%. The Government thus intends to offer the employers the possibility to cut the labour-related costs and create new jobs.
Nastase said that expenses previously covered by these revenues would be financed from other sources of the state budget, but did not specify if these had already been found.
The charges one company currently has to pay to the state budget comprise social security contributions (23.33%), healthcare fund contributions (7%), unemployment benefit (5%), education fund (2%) and the social solidarity fund (3%), besides the profit tax.
Thus, the total contributions amount to 40.33%, a fiscal burden the economic agents can hardly bear. The Government plans relaxation in this field, but announces an increase in excises.
"The first steps are planned for the excises to rise by 8%, in order to make them compliant with the EU level," Nastase added.
He also announced that the draft of the general consolidated budget for 2002 is based on 5% economic growth, 22% inflation rate and 26% average index of prices, as compared to 2001. The Premier said that the draft budget for 2002 would be submitted to Parliament on October 10 so that it could be approved by the end of this year.
The number of employees is estimated to increase by 50,000 in 2002, while the average gross salary is expected to exceed 5.5 million lei.
Adrian Nastase specified that the revenues and expenses of the consolidated general budget would be confined to 3% GDP deficit, which will help to cut the inflation rate down to the forecast level. Local authorities will receive a quota of 61.5% of the profit tax next year, which is similar to this year's level.
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