Royalty rates in the sector will increase by 25%, Ponta told reporters after a meeting with officials of the International Monetary Fund and European Commission.
Joint teams from the IMF and the European Commission arrived in Bucharest on October 22 for the first review of Romania’s progress under a EUR4 billion loan program approved earlier this year.
Following talks, Romania and its creditors have agreed on a string of fiscal measures aimed to increase revenue collections, including widening the taxation pool and increasing existing taxes and charges.
The list of new measures includes an excise duty on fuels, of EUR0.7 per liter. The proceeds will be used to finance infrastructure projects, Ponta said. Also, the authorities will levy new taxes in the construction sector, including on building structures that used to be exempted so far.
The measures are supposed to balance up a gap of about 5 billion lei (EUR1.12 billion) to the state budget triggered by additional government spending with salaries and pensions.