Government allocates another 1 billion RON to subsidise energy and gas bills

The Minister of Finance, Alexandru Nazare, has approved a supplementary spending limit for the Ministry of Labour, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity of 1.058 billion RON, a sum required to cover payments for September 2026.

The largest share of these funds — 1.03 billion RON — will go to the National Agency for Payments and Social Inspection and is earmarked for the full settlement of amounts relating to the compensation of electricity and natural gas consumption for the general public.

Through this supplementary allocation, the Ministry of Finance aims to secure the resources needed to continue reimbursements to energy suppliers, ensuring that the compensation mechanism provided for by law operates without interruption.

«Reimbursements to energy suppliers have not been processed at the required pace, and the accumulation of these obligations has become one of the issues the state must address. The Ministry of Finance does not manage these reimbursements directly, but through the legislative amendments we have supported this year and by ensuring the necessary budgetary resources, we are creating the conditions to accelerate payments and recover the backlog that has built up», Alexandru Nazare stated, according to News.ro.

The Minister also noted that payment delays put pressure on companies' liquidity, affecting their capacity to raise finance and invest, and that when they accumulate they end up hampering economic activity. «We cannot ask the private sector to drive growth while the state is blocking its liquidity through its own unpaid obligations», he added.

The spending limit for September was set at 1.03 billion RON, taking into account the fact that legislation now provides for an increase from 40% to 60% in the proportion of amounts reimbursed to suppliers upon submission of claims, as well as the settlement of the outstanding 20% for claims against which only 40% of the requested value had previously been paid.

The total supplementary allocation also includes 28.964 million RON for the National Authority for the Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. These funds are required to cover entitlements related to inter-urban transport granted to persons with severe or pronounced disabilities, as well as to prevent the accrual of penalties.

«The state must be far more careful when committing to new schemes and new expenditure. We can no longer build mechanisms that we cannot afford or finance in a predictable manner. We must leave as much liquidity as possible in the economy, where it can finance investment, jobs and development, and reduce the pressure the state places on the resources available to the private sector», the Minister of Finance emphasised.

He further noted that, as fiscal consolidation takes effect and financing costs decline, the economy will have better conditions in which to return to a healthy rate of growth: «Our role is to rebuild this trust: a state that honours its obligations, does not promise more than it can finance, and creates space for the private economy to grow».