ANIF could receive an additional 47 million lei in subsidies

• The money will be used for paying wages and the electricity bills

The subsidy allocated to the National Administration of Land Improvement (ANIF) will be supplemented by 47.14 million lei this year. According to Agerpres, the institution needs the money to cover wage expenses, which amount to 17.41 million lei, as well as to pay the electricity and material expenses which amount to 29.731 million lei. These amounts have been set by the revised revenue and expense budget, published on the website of the Ministry of Agriculture.

As part of the budget for 2009, ANIF will receive 141.987 million lei in subsidies, which include the amount that was not allocated last year (47.140 million lei). This leaves a subsidy of 94,847 million lei which is insufficient for 2009.

ANIF had allocated 4 million lei for repair works as part of the land improvement system. This chapter required a budget revision, by which funding was supplemented by 403,000 lei.

On December 31st, 2008, ANIF had recorded 243.443 million lei in expenses, which were verified and approved by the investigative bodies of the County Public Finance Offices and for which ANIF received 196.302 million lei in subsidies. According to Agerpres, ANIF RA did not cash 47.141 million lei in subsidies from the state. This amount included staff expenses of 17.410 million lei, and the remaining 29.731 million lei were unpaid debts towards materials, services and electricity providers.

Given the current economic context, the management of ANIF has taken steps to lower wage expenses: laying off 24 people who qualify for retirement or continued working past their retirement age, which would help cut staff expenses by 300,000 lei. Cutting bonuses, apart from the seniority bonuses and other special bonuses would trim 1.8 million lei off the monthly wage budget.

According to the revised revenue and expense budget, ANIF will have an estimated gross profit of 2.453 million lei in 2009, on the back of 280.838 million lei in total revenues and 278.385 million lei in expenses. ANIF has allocated 155.6 million lei for staff expenses, of which 118.925 million lei for wages. The company will have an average number of 4,917 employees, earning 1,788 lei a month.

ANIF also has scheduled investments worth 75.1 million lei for 2009, of which 3.1 million lei to come from the institution"s own resources, and 72 million from the state budget.