Considering a general average of budget revenue at 30% of GDP over the past years, the commission calculated 2018 collections should reach at least RON272 billion and spending should be limited at RON300 million to keep within the EU-required 3% of GDP budget deficit limit.
The forecast commission expects final consumption will grow 5.8% in 2018, and household consumption will grow 6.2%.
Investments in the economy are set to grow 7.9%.
Inflation is seen at 2.6% at the end of 2018, and the Romanian leu is expected to oscillate around 4.55 lei to the euro.
The commission forecasts the average number of employees in Romania will grow 4.2% next year compared with this year, to 5.13 million people, while the average wage is seen growing 11%, to RON2,614 a month. Real wages, adjusted for inflation, will grow 7.7%.
The forecast shows sectors with the biggest growth in 2018 would be construction (+7%), services, including retail and transport (+6.2%), and industry (+5.2%). Imports are seen growing 7.9% and exports are seen growing 6.5%, which would lower net exports by 1.4%. Lower net exports is the sole indicator that could hinder economic growth in 2018, the commission envisages.
The forecast indicates the government will focus more on investments, construction and services next year than on consumption, which would be a major shift in policy compared with recent years.