The budget deficit target is included in the preliminary budget draft for 2009.
The finance minister, Gheorghe Pogea said recently that authorities are aiming at a budget deficit of 2% to 2.5% of the GDP, but no anti-crisis measures were taken into account in that projection.
The European Commission, or EC, forecasted in its winter prediction, released on January 19, that Romania’s budget deficit to reach 7.5% of the GDP in 2009.
Romania’s consolidated budget deficit widened after the first 11 months of 2008 to 2.94% of the gross domestic product, or GDP or 14.84 billion lei (EUR1=RON4.2634) in nominal terms, according to Finance Ministry data.