Iohannis urges to caution in relation to 2023 budget, given current complicated context

The budget priorities are the same as they have been so far, namely development, investments, sustainability, pensions, salaries and a decent living, President Iohannis said on Tuesday, stressing that, in the current complicated context, we must "not stretch our arm no further than our sleeve will reach".

"The priorities are always the same: development, investment, sustainability, salaries, pensions, decent living. Things will not be absolutely new, the themes presented by the coalition at the beginning of the government will still remain the central themes. Of course, should a situation that does not depend on us occur; should, for example, energy prices rise more than calculated so far, this objective must then be adjusted. But it is just as well possible that they will decrease a little and then the money will be available, I hope, for infrastructure works, for investments that represent the best option to have a sustainable growth, that is, a growth that is steady, not in a month more, and then less. Things must be well balanced and we have to be careful in this complicated context not to stretch our arm no further than our sleeve will reach, because we don't know what other crises will come, we don't know how the situation on the front in Ukraine will develop, and it's very good to be prepared to use the money at our disposal to enable economic growth, but not to use more than necessary and to remain in a healthy macroeconomic framework," said Iohannis.

The governing coalition has started discussions on the state budget for next year, Social Democratic Party (PSD) leader Marcel Ciolacu announced on Tuesday, who recalled that the aim is to have them finalized in November.

President Klaus Iohannis leads the Romanian delegation that participates, on Tuesday and Wednesday, in New York, at the high-level segment of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly.AGERPRES