The Romanian Businessmen’s Association calls on all political leaders of the parliamentary parties to urgently conclude a National Recovery and Resilience Plan Pact, stressing the need for a rapid implementation plan and a firm commitment to implement reforms, complete investments and settle them.
“In the context of the political and health crisis that continues to plague the country for more than a year, the Romanian Businessmen’s Association (AOAR) calls on all responsible parliamentary political parties to conclude a pact for the implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, in line with what Romania has already undertaken in its relationship with the European Commission. AOAR urgently requests the clarification of the financial circuit and the use of the resources to be obtained from pre-financing, the public assumption of the timetable of reforms and investments in the NRRP and their rigorous implementation,” reads a press release issued by AOAR on Monday, Agerpres reports.
Association representatives point out that there are less than 5 years, until August 2026, “to reform a country, invest massively and catch up on important development gaps, with a timetable that does not allow for any delay”.
They remind that there is one week to go before the final approval of the NRRP in the Council (28 October – 1 November 2021) and about one month to go before the application is submitted and the €3.8 billion pre-financing enters the country (November 2021). We also have two months to meet 21 milestones (31 December 2021), eight months to pass 20 laws in Parliament (30 June 2022), 11 months to get €6 billion (30 September 2022) and three years until the next elections to get €19.5 billion (30 September 2024).
“However, we are missing some of the fundamental pillars for the NRRP and we do not have the management, audit, control system and related procedures approved, the IT system in place, functioning monitoring and coordination structures, dedicated structures in each ministry responsible for reforms and investments, and no government ordinances to operationalize the NRRP. But we do have a funded reform and investment plan, with clear deadlines, agreed with the European Commission and to which Romania is committed. What is needed, therefore, is a rapid implementation plan and a firm commitment to implement the reforms, complete the investments and settle them. This cannot happen in the absence of a responsible Government and a political agreement to support a government program focused on the implementation of the PNRR in Parliament”, the association says.