Romania To Provide Pensioners With Basic Food Products For Lowest Price Each Month

"Economically, the program is not a budgetary burden, there are no subsidies or financial support and does not impact VAT collections. It is only an additional organization effort on the part of local or central public administration bodies," says the memorandum approved by the Government to introduce this program.

According to this document, the program will be started by the Government and implemented through the local authorities, under the supervision of county prefects. Local authorities may take part in the program, in the interest of offering social support to pensioners, so that "we are counting on [the authorities'] collaboration."

To find the legal solutions required by the program, the Government has decided to set up a workgroup made up of state secretaries and specialists from the ministries of Interior, Justice, Finance, Agriculture, Health, and from the State Reserves National Administration and Competition Council. The group must come up with solutions within 21 days.

The document points out that, as the average pension is about half an average salary, the share of food spending in a pensioner's expenses is around 60%. The Government also states that 2011 is the last year for the European Program to Aid Disadvantaged people, financed by the European Union.

"The program answers a vital constitutional function, which says the state is required to take the measures necessary to ensure a decent standard of living for its citizens," says the document.

A similar program was launched in 2001 by the Nastase Government, through "Economat" stores. It was carried out in cooperation with a group of producers and distributors and enabled pensioners to buy two liters of oil, two bags of sugar, two bags of rice and other such products for a 30% discount every month.

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