The ministry said RON2.29 billion, or 0.2% of GDP, represented support measures to counter the effects of the pandemic on the economy and Covid-related exceptional spending in January. Around half the amount, or RON1.03 billion, went into value-added tax refunds.
Revenues to the consolidated budget amounted to RON29.18 billion in January, 5.9% higher compared with January 2020.
Income tax collections amounted to RON2.44 billion in January, up 6.8% on the year.
Social security contributions amounted to RON10.35 billion, up 3.7% on the year.
Profit tax collections amounted to RON0.33 billion in January, 51.7% higher compared with January 2020.
Value-added tax collections totaled RON6.05 billion in January, down 9.4% on the year, as VAT refunds grew 60% in the same period.
Excise duty collections amounted to RON3.38 billion, up 2% on the year, driven by an annual 15.5% hike in tobacco excises, slightly offset by a drop of 18% in energy excises.
Romania received RON1.74 billion from the European Union in January, 55.7% more than in January 2020.
On the spending side, Romania’s consolidated budget spending amounted to RON32.87 billion, 17.4% higher in nominal terms compared with January 2020. Spending accounted for 2.9% of GDP in January this year from 2.7% of GDP in January 2020.
Staff spending grew 8.1% on the year in January, to RON9.15 billion, or 0.8% of GDP.
Goods and services spending grew 20.3% in January, to RON3.88 billion.
Social welfare spending grew 16.4% on the year in January, to RON13.82 billion, due to a 14% pension hike introduced as of September 2020 and a 20% hike in child allowances starting August.
Romania spent RON0.4 billion on subsidies in January, mainly in the transport sector.
Investment spending, which includes capital expenditure and development programs financed from local and external sources, amounted to RON1.7 billion in January, up 30% on the year. The country also spent RON1.9 billion on projects financed with non-reimbursable external funding, 48.2% more than in January 2020.
The Romanian parliament approved the 2021 state budget on Tuesday. The government targets a cash deficit of 7.16% of GDP this year from 9.8% in 2020 and expects GDP growth at 4.3% this year from a contraction of 3.9% in 2020.