The General Mayor of the Capital, Ciprian Ciucu, declared on Saturday, in a press conference, that the Municipality of Bucharest needs a budget of 8.5 billion lei for next year. The mayor explained that the projects related to the Ghencea Extension and Dimitrie Pompeiu, as well as other projects that were initiated by the previous administration, are a priority for him.
“What should be the minimum amount, without development, just to pay the debts and operate next year. The amount is 8.5 billion, if we are to think about the debts, plus things that have to happen: wages, public debt, the calculated subsidy, as it is today, without taking any other necessary measure for next year, is 1.3 billion for heating and 1.5 billion for transport. We have public lighting, we have health, our hospitals, and our own defense and subordinate institutions. So this is what the budget should look like next year. It is practically impossible to talk about whether we can balance the budget next year.” explained Ciprian Ciucu.
Ciprian Ciucu explained that Bucharest “has no real fiscal autonomy”, the municipality receiving from the Government approximately 50% of the government quotas, the difference reaching the sectors,
“If nothing changed and we continued to receive 50% of the budget that comes to us from the government, excluding local taxes and fees, we would have a budget of 5 billion. If we received 55%, let’s say we receive 5% more, we would have 5.5 billion. If we received 60% and the sectors only 40% (…) we would have somewhere around 6 billion, 2.5 billion less than what is needed on next year”, explained the mayor.
The general mayor explained that 8 billion lei are spent on civil servants, and less than 1 billion on development.
About the Ghencea Extension project: “It depends a lot on money”
Asked if, from the chair of general mayor, he realistically believes that in two and a half years the project regarding the Ghencea Extension would reach an execution degree of over 80%, Ciucu answered:
“I think so, it will depend a lot on the money, the contract is awarded, it depends on the builder to be very serious, I will talk to the builder”.
The mayor stated that after January 15 he will meet with the builder, to identify the existing problems.
