Bucharest’s General Council voted on Thursday, February 22, the Bucharest City Hall’s budget draft for 2018, which includes total revenues of EUR 1.22 billion and total expenses worth almost EUR 1.35 billion.

The municipality thus expects its revenues to increase by 46% and the expenses to go up by 28% compared to the levels included in last year’s budget.

The budget draft was adopted with 31 votes for and 17 votes against.

The highlights of this year’s budget, as presented by Bucharest mayor Gabriela Firea, are the allotment of EUR 111 million to the 19 hospitals managed by the municipality and EUR 3 million to the People’s Salvation Cathedral.

“To contribute to finalizing the People’s Redemption Cathedral doesn’t mean cutting from infrastructure. The Cathedral is not just any church, it’s what we will leave behind to our children and grandchildren in the year of the Centennial,” Firea said at the beginning of the council meeting.

“I consider that allocating EUR 111 million for healthcare and EUR 3 million for the Cathedral is a wise decision,” she added.

The financing for hospitals include feasibility studies for the construction of new hospitals, including the metropolitan hospital.

The City Hall also allotted EUR 76 million for culture, which includes the construction of several statues and monuments. The expenses for infrastructure and easing traffic are estimated at EUR 231 million.

editor@romania-insider.com