VIDEO // Prime Minister about public-sector pay reform: New law will bring higher salaries and more order to sector

The draft salary law approved by the Government today provides for the largest increase in public-sector salaries in recent years. It will bring more order to the sector and ensure higher salaries, especially for categories of employees who had the lowest incomes. The statements were made by Prime Minister Vasile Tofan during today's Government meeting, at which the draft law on salary reform was approved.


“This is the largest increase in public-sector salaries in recent years, primarily for the lowest-paid positions. The reform comes at a cost to the budget, and we must find reserves. It is an extremely important law,” Vasile Tofan said.




The Prime Minister explained that the new law is necessary because the current regulations have, over time, led to inequitable approaches in certain situations.


“Over the years, we ended up with a very fragmented pay system, with many reference values and numerous exceptions, which created an extremely complex and not always equitable system. There could be people in the same position at different institutions, but with a salary difference of 30–40%. The second problem was allowances—they were not controlled. Allowances could reach 120% of the salary. The gaps between low and high salaries could reach a ratio of 1 to 26, which is extremely large. These gaps clearly need to be reduced. Most importantly, for years we have inherited extremely low salaries in certain positions, and this is another issue that needs to be addressed. These salaries must be increased, especially in the lowest-paid positions. That is what the salary law aims to do,” he said.


According to the official, the new law will provide salary increases of up to 40% for some categories of employees.


“The salary law is about bringing more order to this field and raising salaries where it matters most. A cook will receive a 40% higher salary, an investigations officer 31% more, and a medical assistant 24% more,” Tofan said.


At the same time, he emphasized that approximately 40% of the cost of the new law is allocated to increasing salaries in education, while only 1% is directed toward raising lawmakers' salaries—an issue that has sparked heated debate in the public sphere.


“I understand that society has extensively debated the increase in lawmakers' salaries. This concern is understandable, as is the perception that it is unfair. However, it accounts for approximately 1% of the law's costs. The main debate should be about the positions receiving the largest share of the funds. It is important that the discussion in Parliament focus on what truly matters, not on what generates views and likes,” Vasile Tofan said.


Salaries for public-sector employees will increase starting January 1, 2027, under a draft law approved by the Government today that introduces a comprehensive reform of the pay system. The law regulates the basic salary level, reduces the number of reference values, and establishes the granting of bonuses and performance allowances. Finance Minister Victoria Belous said that the draft provides for the largest salary increase in the public sector in recent years, with an average increase of 15.7%. The reform targets 170,000 public-sector employees, and approximately 3.2 billion lei will be allocated for its implementation in 2027.