Social vouchers' distribution to start on June 1

The process of issuing, distributing and charging the social vouchers offered through the government program "Support for Romania" will start on June 1, the Ministry of European Investments and Projects announced on Monday in a release.

The vouchers have a face value of 250 RON and are intended for people in material deprivation or at risk of poverty and, by the number of beneficiaries, represent the most important initiative of this kind so far.

According to the cited source, over 2.5 million beneficiaries will receive food vouchers worth a combined 3.1 billion RON. The multiple source of financing, both from the state budget and from European non-reimbursable funds through the Operational Program Assistance for Disadvantaged Persons 2014-2020, as well as from the 2021-2027 programming period through the Social Inclusion and Dignity Operational Program, is also a never seen before arrangement.

"The initiative of promptly providing social vouchers comes itself with a series of firsts in the central administration; this effort would not have been possible without the mobilization and synchronization of several ministries, national and privately-owned companies. Starting with the identification of the beneficiaries from various vulnerable categories, contracting and, of course, producing such a large number of cards, the synchronization and validation of the lists of beneficiaries between the Labor Ministry and the National Tax Management Authority, the nationwide distribution of the cards and charging them every two months, these are all examples of solidarity and mobilization within the government. The negotiations with the European Commission, multi-source funding mechanisms and other innovations in European funding only come second to the fact that the Romanians with serious financial problems receive the first signs of support," said Minister of European Investments and Projects Marcel Bolos.

According to the voucher distribution calendar, they will be charged every two months, in four installments (June - July, August - September, October - November, December 2022 - January 2023).