Radio România Internațional

Tag: National Strategy

  • National strategy to reduce poverty

    National strategy to reduce poverty

    The Bucharest Government approved on Wednesday the National Strategy on Social Inclusion and Poverty Reduction and the Action Plan for the period 2022-2027. Their purpose is to reduce the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion by at least 7% until 2027, as compared with 2020. According to data made public by Eurostat last year, there were around 6 million persons at risk of poverty and social exclusion in Romania in 2019, accounting for 31.2% of the population, as compared with around 9 million such persons or 44.2% of the population in 2008. The National Strategy includes, among other, measures to combat poverty, the right to social assistance, access to services of general public interest, social and economic participation of vulnerable categories in terms of the human rights observance, as well as recovery and resilience measures in the social security system, in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic and in other special situations.



    The document passed by the Government has four strategic objectives. Among them is ensuring decent living standards for all and combating transitional situations of resource poverty, so that they do not turn into structural poverty and social exclusion problems. Another objective is making social investment, which means addressing directly the causes of poverty transmission from a generation to another. Modernising the social protection system and improving administrative capacity for the coordination of these measures is also stipulated. The implementation of these measures is mainly financed from European funds and from the budget of every relevant institution or public authority. The Government also earmarked 160 million lei (32 million euro) for the setting up of 100 day social centres for elderly.



    The Government will soon increase the amount for inpatient meals, to around 4 euro a day, according to Marcel Ciolacu, head of the Social Democratic Party, part of the ruling coalition. According to Ciolacu, the Health and Finance ministers have already agreed on it, with the measure likely to take effect next week at the latest, being an urgent measure prompted by the accelerated rise in the price of food.



    A package of social and economic measures for the population is to be discussed Monday, at the meeting of the ruling coalition. The version proposed by the Social Democratic Party includes provisions such as vouchers worth 50 euro granted every other month to people with pensions below 300 euro and vouchers worth 30 euro for school kits and clothing for one-parent and low-income families. According to the social-democrats, this social package, supported also by the European Commission, could be financed from European funds with up to 700 million euros. The version supported by the National Liberal Party, in the ruling coalition, includes doubling the value of food vouchers, to around 100 euro, to be granted at least until next June. (EE)



  • Preparations for the second vaccination stage

    Preparations for the second vaccination stage

    The Romanian authorities are preparing the second stage of the Covid-19 vaccination campaign, in keeping with the National Strategy. It will start after January 15 and will cover the population at risk: adults over the age of 65 and people with chronic diseases, regardless of age, depending on the indications of the vaccines used. It also targets people working in key areas.



    Until then, the first stage continues, in which employees in the health and social fields are immunised. Doctors, nurses and orderlies could be paid extra if they participate in the vaccination campaign, the Minister of Health, Vlad Voiculescu, has announced and an emergency government ordinance is being developed to this end. He has explained that this is Romanias biggest challenge, and people need to be motivated to get involved. “We rely on family doctors to inform their registered patients, to enrol them in the scheduling platform and then to monitor any other needs. There will be an amount for success, the goal is vaccination”, the official added.



    Vlad Voiculescu promised that the scheduling platform for the second stage will be much improved and much easier to use. There will also be a call centre with a unique number and a team will be set up at the level of the Ministry of Health to combat misinformation. The relevant minister has reiterated that vaccination against COVID-19 is safe, effective and the only chance to return to normal.



    The Romanian Academy of Scientists has announced that it supports the National Vaccination Campaign and will organise a series of online events on the pandemic and measures to combat it, focusing on the need for large-scale vaccination of the population. Also, the Romanian Orthodox Church has made public the fact that it will promote in its dioceses the medical information regarding the coronavirus vaccines. The Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Daniel, sent a letter in the territory with an informative brochure entitled “Vaccination against COVID-19 in Romania. Free. Voluntary. Safe!”.According to the letter, priests and clerical staff who carry out high-risk activities are included in the second stage of vaccination, as the spokesperson for the Patriarchate told the public television station.



    On the other hand, the Association of Romanian Municipalities asked the Ministry of Health to provide financial resources for the organisation, equipping and rendering operational the anti-COVID vaccination centres, as well as for the payment of medical and auxiliary staff working in them. Mayors are dissatisfied with the fact that the draft Emergency Ordinance initiated by the ministry stipulates that these funds should be provided from the local budgets. (M. Ignatescu)