The decree on measures to reduce budget expenditures (known as the Savings Decree) was published in the Official Gazette. Although some measures are not authoritative, for example, reducing the number of people present in the CO. In fact, they will give other state employees the opportunity to “earn an extra penny”.

The Ministry of Finance hopes to save 5.3 billion lei thanks to the announced measures, although 20 billion lei would be needed, a figure even given by government officials.

1. Costs of goods and services reduced by 10%.

Does not apply to expenses for medicines and sanitary and hygienic materials, for medical services,

for the costs of health care activities and programs, as well as in the case of costs related to units of pre-university and university education.

2. State authorities and institutions, regardless of the method of financing and subordination, including activities that are fully financed from their own revenues, are prohibited from buying, leasing or renting machines, furniture and office equipment.

There are a few exceptions: newly created institutions, institutions implemented under the Rabla program, purchases from PNRR or investment purposes.

Ongoing purchases will be completed in accordance with the legal provisions in effect on the date of initiation

the relevant procedures, only if the customer has already sent an announcement or invitation to participate for publication.

Starting Monday, all procurement procedures for which the stage of notification of procedure results has not been completed will be suspended.

These provisions also apply to some state-owned companies, according to another article of the same GEO.

3. Freeze state employment.

Among the exceptions is the pilot project of the National Body of Civil Servants, that is, the national competition inspired by the model used in public administrations at the European level.

Another exception is the Ministry of Education, which, by a memorandum approved by the Government, can approve the holding of competitions for the positions of teachers and management personnel in educational units.

This can also be done in a memorandum if the Ministry of Development asks for it.

If some institutions have already selected the files, then the employment procedures can continue.

In this sense, the authorities were given 2 days to publish the announcement regarding the positions that meet the requirements for the continuation of the competition.

It will also be possible to make transfers between institutions.

IMPORTANTLY: Temporary managers will be able to be appointed to various institutions without obliging the National Agency for Civil Servants to hold tenders. This institution will need to be notified 5 days before the decision.

4. The Agency for Quality and Marketing of Agri-Food Products will be established on January 1, 2024. The term was extended for 1 year.

5. Persons and the duration of remote work are established by the heads of state authorities and institutions, regardless of the form of funding and subordination.

6. Since there is no money in the Transitional Fund, it has not been collected as much as they thought, the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Energy will be able to pay the bills of energy suppliers according to the limitation schemes. We will remind you that the Ministry of Energy informed Finance that they have no money. The State Secretary of the Ministry of Finance said that they would agree to a correction in August. Therefore, this measure currently does not solve anything.

7. Within 24 months, customers who award public procurements, the subject of which is agro-food products, apply the criterion of awarding the best ratio of price and quality.

• The weight set for the quality assessment factor is 60% of the total score and consists of: 30% for the “supply chain” factor and 30% for reaching the stage of production in the development region where the customer is located.

8. The number of boards of directors (and supervisory boards) that an employee can have in state institutions is limited to a maximum of two (from 3 currently).

9. Reduction of the number of positions in the cabinet of ministers and the office: the number of advisers is reduced by 50%

Thus they will:

• 9 positions of prime minister;

• 6 positions for the office of the Deputy Prime Minister with portfolio, Minister of State;

• 4 positions for the office of the vice-prime minister without a portfolio;

• 4 positions for the Cabinet of Ministers, the Secretary General of the Government and the head of the Prime Minister’s Office;

• 4 positions for the cabinet of the authorized minister;

• 2 positions of Deputy General Secretary of the Government, State Secretary and persons equivalent to him in the ministries and working apparatus of the Government and State Counselor;

• 2 positions for the office of the head of a specialized body of the central state administration in the rank of state secretary;

• 1 position for the post of Deputy State Secretary and his equivalent in the working apparatus of the Government in ministries and other specialized bodies of the central state administration;

10. The government may adopt draft regulations/public policy documents, the application of which leads to a decrease in revenues or an increase in expenditures approved by the budget, only if a financial report is attached to them, as well as a statement that the increase in expenditures is compatible with goals and strategic priorities , indicated in the fiscal-budgetary strategy, with the annual budget law and expenditure limits presented in the fiscal-budgetary strategy.