Romanian diplomats, constrained to cuts: low cost airfares, utility cuts by 10%, reduced telephone bills, lower salaries 

Romania’s Foreign Affairs ministry will manage, through salary and personnel cuts to decrease the salaries by 35% and not by 25% as the government’s austerity measures rule. The difference lies in the cut of salaries received by diplomats in foreign currency, Foreign Affairs minister Teodor Baconschi explined. The ministry is under restructure and Romanian diplomats abroad need to comply to new austerity measures.

The new organization scheme of the ministry put forward by Baconschi sees less management positions, only three state secretary positions. Currently, the ministry has 5 state secretaries. According to the new organization scheme, state secretaries will cover European affairs, global affairs and inter-institutional affairs.

The minister did not say how many people will be laid off from the ministry and said that the organizational scheme is still under discussion. The minister talked about the following measures

• a 20% cut for goods and services in missions abroad in 2010 
• giving up rent spaces whose lease terms expire in 2010 
• we prefer low cost fares when possible for traveling and Tarom, the national airline company came up with better prices 
• we cut 10% to 20% in utility consumption like water, energy