"Real dialogue" with representatives of all parties

The Minister of Labour, Sulfina Barbu, said on Monday during the Lunch Debate on Radio Romania that she wants a real dialogue with representatives of all parliamentary parties, including the opposition about the framework law on social assistance.

Sulfina Barbu reminded that this law must be approved by the end of this month, according to the agreement with IMF, EU and the World Bank.

The Minister of Labour said that according to the data from the Ministry of Labour and the National House of Pensions currently there are 7 644 769 beneficiaries of social assistance funds in Romania.

Sulfina Barbu said that the total budget for social assistance in Romania per a year is 19 944 million lei.

"That means a 3.7 percent of GDP. If we compare it with the budget deficit which is 4.4 percent we see what remains for investment", the Minister of Labour said.

Sulfina Barbu said that by implementing the law of social assistance the ministry aims at unifying more benefits and social ones so that they can be tracked more efficiently.

The Minister of Labour said that according to the proposed law in the Parliament benefits and social benefits will be divided into four categories, "namely nine types of benefits and social benefits compared to 103 types that exist in the current law".

Sulfina Barbu also said that another way to control these benefits and social benefits is their integration into a joint information system in the ministry.

The Minister of Labour hopes that by Thursday the social assistance framework law should reach the Chamber of Deputies, which is decision forum.

In connection with the employees-retirees ratio, which is now 1.3 to 1, Sulfina Barbu said that the zero objective of Romania and not only is to increase the number of those who are on employment contracts and in the labour market.

Asked if she upholds the decision of the former Minister of Labour in order to grant aid for heating this year only to those considered vulnerable and who have an income per family member up to 786 lei, Sulfina Barbu said that this is "fair and equitable".

Translated by: Denisse-Meda Bucura.
MA Student, MTTLC, Bucharest University