PM Orban urges business leaders to report short-time working correctly

PM Ludovic Orban on Monday urged business leaders who resort to short-time working to correctly reflect the real situation, adding that there will be further checks.

"The decision to grant companies this form of support, namely, the payment of short-time working benefits to employees of companies that can no longer pay them, at least for the time being, during this period when the companies are affected, is a decision that will be made under a simplified procedure. Of course, we will carry out checks later, and I want to draw attention to the fact that the bona fide reports entail responsibility," Orban told Realitatea Plus private broadcaster.

He pointed out that failure to comply with the bona fide reports may have consequences including of a criminal nature.

"And as such, I am asking the business leaders to correctly convey the real situation, because lies have short legs and, sooner or later, we will get to carry out randomize checks or look into notifications that we will have and we will identify those who were not honest," added Orban about Ordinance 30/2020 under which 75% of the employees of a company can be placed on short-time work.

Asked why the decision to freeze the price for utilities but not for food as well, Orban said: "We are conducting an analysis. We discussed at the government meeting on Thursday, we are waiting for the Competition Council, the Ministry Finance and the ANPC to give concrete data for a very serious evaluation. One cannot take such a measure without taking into account reality."

"Much of the food on the Romanian market is being imported. If the producer has increased the price, I cannot force the Romanian trader to sell at a certain price if he buys at a higher price than the one he used to in Romania a month ago. Which is also true in relation to the domestic producers. (...) You cannot impose a random price, a list of set prices, because the products will disappear from the market and will be sold on illegal markets. (...) Prices for Romanian products have not increased very much. An analysis should also be made of sales taxes. (...) The best solution is to increase production," said Orban.