According to Lybek, Romania allots insufficient money for healthcare, as a share of the gross domestic product, compared to the European average. Also, the country failed to increase its budget revenues above 31%-32%, the IMF official highlighted.
Romanian President Traian Basescu pleaded recently for the adoption of a new healthcare law and a law reorganizing the country administratively, saying these two measures are needed to complete state reforms.
Romanian authorities are currently working on a new healthcare bill, after a previous one was withdrawn for public debate following popular demonstrations against it.
The leaders of the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania, part of the ruling coalition, said repeatedly they do not want the new healthcare law to be applied in 2012, an election year, as the major changes it brings might be misinterpreted.
Apart from increasing its EU fund absorption rate and reducing its budget deficit, Romania must continue structural reforms, liberalize its energy market, restructure state companies and reduce arrears, Lybek said.
Romania has natural gas resources, but they are inefficiently used due to low natural gas prices, especially for industrial consumers, Lybek highlighted. Therefore, Romania has no alternative but import expensive natural gas from Russia to cover current needs, he added.
Referring to the gradual increase of natural gas and electricity prices, Lybek said Romanian authorities need to adopt social measure to protect people on low income.
Two weeks ago, the Romanian Government approved a bill which deregulates energy tariffs. The bill was sent to the Parliament for approval.
Romania will deregulate electricity tariffs by the end of 2013 for industrial consumers and by the end of 2017 for household clients, reads the bill.