The Government did not take into account the legal rules on the financing of the DNA and included, in the draft budget, the funds allocated to this structure in those made available to the Public Ministry, almost a third lower than 2014
The Government ignored the law and the requests of the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) to increase the budget for next year. According to the draft budget for 2015, the Government did not allocate a separate budget for the DNA as required by the law, including the sums made available to this structure in the total budget for the Public Ministry, which receives almost 32% less money than this year’s budget execution.
All of these irregularities are reported by the DNA management, in a press release issued on Thursday:
„Following the publication, on the website of the Ministry of Finance, of the draft State Budget Law for 2015, the leadership of the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) found the following:
1. In the annexes of the aforementioned bill, the separate tab for the DNA is nowhere to be found, as required by art. 4, paragraph 4 of EO No. 43/2002 regarding the DNA, but only a summarizing tab for the entire Public Ministry, without identifying the funds allocated to the DNA for 2015.
2. After analyzing the summarizing tab for the entire Public Ministry it is noted that the budget is 31.94% lower than the budget execution in 2014. Furthermore, between the 2015 budgetary reductions there have been found a number of expenditures which are absolutely necessary for the proper functioning of the Public Ministry (including legal expertise, fuel, functional-type materials and services).
3. We emphasize that, taking into account the minimum funds necessary for the proper functioning of the activities in 2015, the DNA leadership initially requested a budget of around 25 million euros (equivalent in RON), compared with the 20 million euros budget for 2014. The initial request, made in July 2014 was reiterated to the Minister of Justice and to the Minister delegated for Budget on 29.08.2014 and 3.12.2014, requesting that, in addition, at the preparation of the State Budget Law both the values asked for and the maintaining of the DNA budget in a separate tab should be taken into consideration, under the acting laws
National Anticorruption Directorate
press release
Head of the DNA, Laura Codruta Kovesi declared on Thursday that, therefore, the activity of this institution could be hampered and even blocked, because there are complex files which require expertise and other procedural acts involving greater expenditures.
In addition, the DNA representatives reminded that, reported to the budget amount requested by the DNA, 25 million euros, the institution has made goods and money unavailable in investigated criminal cases, of about 300 million euros in value in 2013, and by November 2014 they froze approximately 200 million euros.
More money for Intelligence Services and European Funds, less for Prosecution, Interior and Health
According to the draft budget for 2015, the Secret Services (SRI, SIE and SPP) and the Ministries of Labor, Development, Finance, European Funds, Agriculture, Environment, Transport and Economy will have greater budgets next year, while allocations for the Ministries of Health, Culture and Administration, Interior and Public will be lower.
Thus, the Romanian Intelligence Service will have 1.39 billion RON (1.1 billion RON in 2014, 1.19 billion after corrections), the Foreign Intelligence Service 225.38 million (195.66 million RON in 2014, 225.21 million RON after corrections), while the Protection and Guard Service gets 148.79 million RON (131.74 million RON in 2014, 154.04 million after corrections). The budget for the Special Telecommunications Service amounts to 246 million RON, compared to the 248.43 million in 2014 and 259.15 million after corrections.
The budget for the Ministry of Labor in 2015 is 36.71 billion RON (26.69 billion in 2014, 28.89 after corrections), the Ministry of Development has 5 billion RON available (4.8 billion in 2014, 4.55 after corrections), the Ministry of Finance has a budget of 3.46 billion (3 billion in 2014, 2.92 after corrections), the Ministry of Agriculture receives 23.59 billion RON (19.4 billion in 2014, 18.57 after corrections) and the Ministry of Environment has a spending cap for next year amounting to 2.82 billion RON (2.68 billion for 2014, 2.54 after corrections).
The Ministry of European Funds will have a budget of 1.76 billion RON, well above the 166.37 million RON allocated in 2014.
According to the draft budget for 2015, the Ministry of Transport will receive 8.66 billion RON (6.46 billion RON in 2014, 6.82 after corrections) and the Ministry of Economy has a 1.53 billion RON budget (1.07 billion RON in 2014, 1.32 after corrections).
Instead, the Ministry of Health’s budget decreased to 6.73 billion RON (7.97 billion in 2014, 7.94 after corrections) and the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ to 8.81 billion RON (8.39 billion in 2014, 9.88 after corrections).
The SGG the new cap is 6.96 billion RON (7.2 billion in 2014, 5.96 after corrections).
The Ministry of Justice will have a 2.72 billion RON budget (2.56 billion in 2014, 3.1 after corrections), the Ministry of Defense has earmarked 7.36 billion RON (6.8 billion in 2014, 7.09 after corrections), while the Ministry of Education can spend next year at tops 8.95 billion RON (8.56 billion in 2014, 8.8 after corrections).
The High Court of Cassation and Justice will have 65.5 million RON (66.23 million in 2014, 85.48 after corrections) and the Constitutional Court 12.45 million RON (14.69 million in 2014, 16.1 after corrections).
For the Public Ministry the sum for 2015 is that of 709.28 million RON (690.7 million in 2014, 908.95 after corrections).
For the Ministry of Foreign Affairs the budget was that of 681.5 million, compared to 673.27 million RON in 2014, or to the 791.8 million RON after corrections.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports will be able to spend 441.6 million RON (372.33 million in 2014, 383.53 after corrections) and the Ministry of Culture 537.16 million RON (562.58 million in 2014, 584.81 after corrections).
The Presidential Administration Budget will be that of 22.14 million RON, compared to 25.53 million in 2014 and the total amount of 23 million RON that is left after three budget corrections.
In the Senate, the expenditure ceiling for the year was set at 104.7 million RON, greater than that of 101.62 million for 2014 and 104.17 million after corrections.
Regarding the Chamber of Deputies, however, the budget is set to 247.7 million, lower than the 252.18 million allocated for 2014 or than the 242.75 million after corrections.
For the Legislative Council the total amount is 5 million (5.52 million RON in 2014, 5.46 million after corrections), for the Court of Auditors 203.5 million RON (194.86 million in 2014, 219.95 after corrections), the Competition Council has 39.2 million RON (64.91 million in 2014, 61.81 after corrections), the Ombudsman has 7.7 million RON (5.92 million in 2014, 6.06 after corrections).
The new CNSAS budget is 11.7 million RON (12.76 million in 2014, 12.52 after corrections), the CAN has 8.05 million RON (8.68 million in 2014, 8.52 after corrections), the National Integrity Agency budget is that of 37.8 million RON (19.44 million in 2014, 19.33 after corrections) and the Romanian Academy has a 397 million RON budget (362.23 million in 2014, 400.3 after corrections).
The Public Radio has a budget of 192.94 million RON (188.78 million in 2014, 207.63 after corrections) and the TVR (Romanian Television) has 180 million RON (179.96 million in 2014, 191.54 after corrections).
Regarding the National Authority of Property Restitution, the budget totals at 10.89 million RON (263.42 million in 2014).
The consolidated general Government budget is estimated at 226.36 billion RON (31.9% of the GDP), while expenditures are projected at 239.36 billion RON (33.7% of the GDP), resulting in a 1.8% deficit in the GDP.
The budget was built on a 2.5% economic growth, a Gross Domestic Product estimated at 709.86 billion RON and an annual inflation rate of 2.2%.