Minister of Education: Decisive weeks for PNRR investments in education

Interim Minister of Education, Mihai Dimian, warns that there are two weeks left until the final deadline for PNRR and highlights the large volume of projects managed by the Ministry of Education and Research (MEC). The institution has contracted approximately 7,000 projects, almost a third of the total number of PNRR projects in Romania. "There are 2 weeks left until the final deadline for PNRR. The Ministry of Education and Research (MEC) has contracted approximately 7,000 projects - almost a third of the total number of PNRR projects in Romania! It has been a huge effort in these last months to recover the major delays and reduce the high risks of not meeting the assumed targets and milestones," wrote Interim Minister of Education, Mihai Dimian, on Facebook. According to him, during the period 2021-2025, the Ministry of Education and Research made payments of approximately 7 billion lei. "In the first seven months of this year alone, payments to beneficiaries were approximately 4 billion lei. I thank all beneficiaries and all colleagues in the Ministry who tried to complete the projects and reports," the interim minister said.

Mihai Dimian announced that, last week, Payment Request No. 5 was submitted, which also included the reporting of approximately 3,900 completed projects in the field of education. The minister noted that the last few weeks have been difficult also because of the draft Law on the remuneration of personnel paid from public funds. "And in this case, Romania also had a few years to discuss it, check it and finalize it. We are trying to do it now... The activities in the last few weeks in this direction have been very intense. I do not think it is useful to detail them now. What is important is the result. I hope that the current solution can be supported by the parties involved and, above all, that it is a fair one for colleagues in education and research”, Dimian also wrote.

• Final deadline for PNRR, August 31

The interim Minister of Education stressed that the next two weeks are decisive both for PNRR investments in education and research, and for establishing a salary that he considers fair for staff in these fields. "There are two decisive weeks, therefore, both for PNRR investments in education and research, and for reaching a fair salary for staff in these fields”, Mihai Dimian transmitted. PNRR must be finalized by August 31.