PM Ponta: There are 12 arguments in favour of a CAS cut as from October 1

Prime Minister Victor Ponta said Tuesday at the Government House that there are 12 arguments regarding the economic and budgetary policies implemented since 2012 that make a cut in the social security contributions (CAS) possible as from October 1.

'I want to present briefly the 12 areas that allow us to believe that there is a window of economic opportunity for the decision to cut the CAS, telling you from the start what I have told the representatives of the business community: if we fail to take this measure this year, when there are so many positive elements, it is clear that we will never take it. And probably any government, irrespective of ideology, will only answer to reasons strictly related to bookkeeping or politics and it will not take the measure,' Ponta said when unveiling economic results following the implementation of Government's policies in the past two and a half years.

He added that it should first and foremost be noticed that 'Romania moved on from its worst recession after 2000 to a stable and grounded economic growth of 3.9 per cent, first in the European Union, and that in accordance with the forecasts of international institutions and experts, the economic growth can be sustainable if some stability and predictability conditions are met.'

'The most important thing demanded by the business community was to ease the tax burden, particularly on labour,' said Ponta.

He then proceeded to enlarge on the 12 areas where the Ponta cabinets stepped in with economic policies and tax and budgetary measures: economic growth, narrowing the Government deficit, public debt, industrial recovery, improving the absorption of European funds, infrastructure investment, increasing wages and pensions, job creation...