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Law No. 68 Of April 25, 2012

Original Language Title:  LEGE nr. 68 din 25 aprilie 2012

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LEGE no. 68 68 of 25 April 2012 (* updated *) for the ratification of the Loan Agreement (Project on the modernization of the social assistance system) between Romania and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, signed in Bucharest on July 8, 2011 ((updated until 25 September 2013 *)
ISSUER PARLIAMENT




---------------- *) The updated form of this normative act until September 25, 2013 is carried out by the legal department of S.C. "Territorial Center of Electronic Computing" S.A. Piatra-Neamt by including all amendments and additions made by the AMENDMENT of June 20, 2013 approved by JUDGMENT no. 705 705 of 18 September 2013 . The content of this act is not an official document, being intended to inform users The Romanian Parliament adopts this law + Article 1 The loan agreement between Romania and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, amounting to 500 million euro equivalent, regarding the Project on the modernization of the social assistance system, hereinafter referred to as project, signed in Bucharest on 8 July 2011, hereinafter referred to as the Agreement. + Article 2 (1) The Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Protection is designated an agency for implementation of the project and in this capacity it is delegated the entire authority and responsibility in its realization. (2) The Ministry of Public Finance will conclude with the Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Protection a subsidiary agreement establishing the rights and obligations of the parties in the application of the provisions of the agreement. + Article 3 Amounts made from the loan provided for in art. 1 shall be transferred to the account of foreign currency opened in the name of the Ministry of Public Finance at the National Bank of Romania and shall be used as necessary to finance the deficit of the state budget and to refinance the public debt, in accordance with the with the provisions Government Emergency Ordinance no. 64/2007 on public debt, approved with amendments and additions by Law no. 109/2008 ,, as amended. + Article 4 The payment of the public debt service related to the loan, namely the repayment of capital, the payment of interest, commissions and other costs related to the loan, shall be ensured according to the legislation in force on public debt related to reimbursable financing contracted by the Government, through the Ministry of Public Finance, in order to finance the deficit of the state budget and refinance the public debt + Article 5 (1) The Romanian Government is authorized that, through the Ministry of Public Finance, in agreement with the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, to introduce, during the use of the loan, in relation to the concrete conditions of the agreement, amendments to its content, which concern the modification of the indicators on the basis of which the draws are made, the mechanism for the redundancy of the instalments on the loan, and any other changes that are not likely to increase Romania's financial obligations to the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development or to determine new economic conditionings from those originally agreed between the parties. (2) Amendments agreed according to par. (1) is approved by Government decision. This law was adopted by the Romanian Parliament, in compliance with the provisions of art. 75 75 and art. 76 76 para. (2) of the Romanian Constitution, republished. CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES PRESIDENT ROBERTA ALMA ANASTASE SENATE PRESIDENT VASILE BLAGA Bucharest, April 25, 2012. No. 68. LOAN AGREEMENT (Project on modernisation of the social assistance system) between Romania and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development *) ------ * *) Translation. Loan no. 8056-RO Dated 8 July 2011 LOAN AGREEMENT Agreement dated July 8, 2011, concluded between Romania (Lending) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (Bank) The borrower and the Bank hereby agree the following: + Article I General conditions; definitions 1.01. The general conditions (as defined in the appendix to this agreement) are an integral part of this agreement. 1.02. Unless the context requires another meaning, the terms written in the capital used in this agreement shall have the meaning assigned to them in the General Conditions or in the Appendix to this Agreement. + Article II Loan 2.01. The Bank agrees to borrow the Loan, according to the terms and conditions set or referred to in this agreement, the sum of five hundred million euros (EUR 500,000,000), the said amount can be converted periodically through a currency conversion operation in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.07 of this Agreement (loan), to support the financing of the project described in Annex 1 to the Agreement (Project). 2.02. The borrower may draw the amounts from the loan in accordance with Section III of Annex 2 to this Agreement. 2.03. The initial fee payable by the Loan will be equal to a quarter of a percentage (0.25%) of the loan amount. The borrower will pay the original commission within 60 days after the date of entry into the effectivity. 2.04. The interest payable by the Loan for each interest period shall be at a rate equal to the reference rate for the currency of the loan plus a fixed margin, provided that, upon the conversion in full or of any portion of the loan amount, interest payable by the borrower during the conversion period of that amount shall be determined in accordance with the relevant provisions of art. IV of the General Conditions. Notwithstanding those previously mentioned, if any amount of the balance drawn on the loan remains unpaid at maturity and such non-payment continues over a period of 30 days, then the interest payable by the Lending will be calculated differently after the loan. as stipulated in section 3.02 (e) of the General Conditions. 2.05. Payment dates are February 1 and August 1 of each year. 2.06. The loan amount will be refunded in accordance with the provisions of Annex 3 to this Agreement. 2.07. (a) The borrower can always request any of the following loan terms conversions to facilitate prudent debt management: (i) a loan currency change for all parties or any portion of the loan amount. the loan drawn or undrawn in an approved currency; (ii) a change in the base rate of interest applicable to all parties or any part of the amount of the loan drawn and outstanding, from a variable rate to a fixed rate or vice versa or from a rate variable based variable at a variable rate based on a fixed margin; and (iii) establishment the variable rate limits applicable to all parties or any part of the amount of the loan drawn and outstanding, by setting an interest rate ceiling or an interest rate variation margin on the variable rate. (b) Any conversion requested on the basis of paragraph (a) of this section which is accepted by the Bank shall be considered a conversion, as defined in the General Conditions, and shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of art. IV of the General Conditions and the Conversion Guide. + Article III Project 3.01. The borrower declares his commitment to the Project's objectives. In this context, the Loan will implement the Project through MMFPS, in accordance with the provisions of art. V of the General Conditions. 3.02. Without limitation to the provisions of section 3.01 of this Agreement and unless the Loan and the Bank will otherwise agree, the Loan will ensure that the Project is implemented in accordance with the provisions of Annex 2 to this Agreement. + Article IV Events that may cause early suspension/payment 4.01. Additional events that may cause suspension are as follows: a) The strategy on reform in the field of social assistance of the borrower and the Action Plan have been amended, suspended, repealed, revoked or waived without the prior consent of the Bank, so that it is materially and negatively affected the ability of the borrower to carry out the Project or to fulfil any of its obligations under this Agreement. b) The borrower's legislation governing social assistance programs has been amended, suspended, repealed, revoked or waived, so that it materially and adversely affects the ability of the borrower to implement the Effective Strategy on social assistance reform to carry out the Project. 4.02. Additional events that may determine prepayment represent any of the events specified in section 4.01 of this Agreement that occur and continue for a period of 60 days after the event has been notified The borrower by the Bank. + Article V Entry into force; cessation 5.01. The additional condition of entry into the effectivity consists in the adoption of the MOP by the Lending, through MMFPS, in a satisfactory manner for the Bank. 5.02. The date-the limit of entry into the effectivity shall be 150 days from the date of this Agreement. + Article VI Representation; addresses 6.01. The borrower's representative is the Ministry of Public Finance 6.02. The borrower's address is: Ministry of Finance Str. Apolodor no. 17, Sector 5 Bucharest Romania Telex: Fax: 11239 11239 4021.312.67.92 6.03. Bank's address is: International Bank for Reconstruction and Development 1818 1818 H Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20433 United States of America Cable address: Telex: Fax: INTBAFRAD 248423 (MCI) or 1-202-477-6391 Washington, D.C. 64145 (MCI) Agreed in Bucharest, Romania, on the date and year mentioned above. For Romania, Gheorghe Ialomitianu, authorised representative For the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, François Rantrua, authorised representative + Annex 1 PROJECT DESCRIPTION The objective of the Project is to improve the performance of the Social Assistance system of Lending, by strengthening performance management, improving equity and administrative efficiency and reducing errors and fraud. The project consists of the following: securing the financing, by repaying the payments already made by the Loan from the Budgetary Allocations for the Eligible Expenditure Programme (PCE), in order to support the implementation of the The borrower intended to improve the welfare system. + Annex 2 PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION + Section I Implementation arrangements A. Institutional arrangements 1. The borrower, through MMFPS: a) will undertake all necessary measures for the effective implementation of the Strategy on social assistance reform and the Action Plan; and b) implement the Project in accordance with the provisions of the MOP and will not modify or repeal any of the provisions of the MOP, nor will they waive them without the prior consent of the Bank 2. The borrower, through the DGAS of the MMFPS, will ensure the coordination of the implementation of the Project and will be responsible for: a) monitoring the performance of the IDTs; b) drawing up and submitting to the Bank the records on the fulfilment of the IDTs; and c) coordination with the MFP in the preparation and transmission to the Bank of the drawing requests within the Project. 3. Lending, through MFP, MMFPS and ANPS, will ensure the implementation of the Project's financial management. MFP, MMFPS and ANPS will continue to carry out budget transfers intended for PCE through existing channels and procedures, while county agencies of ANPS, i.e. AJPS, will periodically report receiving transfers and using budget allocations. In this regard, MMFPS and ANPS will ensure that PCE reports are carried out on a regular basis in a timely manner and are in line with the established reporting requirements. 4. The borrower, through MMFPS, will undertake all necessary measures to strengthen institutional capacity for strategic planning, to monitor performance and management of DGAS, Social Inspection, ANPS and the National Institute of Medical Expertise and Work Capacity Recovery, in accordance with the stand-by arrangement between Romania and the IMF and the Loan Agreement and the Memorandum of Understanding between Romania and the EC. 5. The loan will ensure that for the duration of the Project, budgetary allocations are made available annually for the purpose of its implementation. B. Anticorruption The borrower will ensure that the Project is carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Anti-Corruption Guidelines. + Section II Project monitoring, reporting and evaluation A. Reports on the Project 1. The borrower, through MMFPS, will monitor and evaluate the progress of the Project and prepare the project reports, in accordance with the provisions of section 5.08 of the General Conditions and on the basis of acceptable indicators for the Bank. Each project report will cover a 6-month period and will include: a) expenditure information for social assistance programs included in the PCE, according to the Budgetary Economic Classification of the Loan; and b) implementation reports of The project, in the format and content described in MOP. These reports will be submitted to the Bank no later than forty-five (45) days after the end of the period covered by that report. 2. Without being limited to the provisions of paragraph 1 of this section, the Lending, through MMFPS, ANPS and AJPSs, will keep all detailed information on payments to beneficiaries of social assistance programs included in the PCE, located in their competence, which could be requested by the Bank for postevaluation. 3. During the implementation period of the Project, the Loan, through the Court of Auditors, will carry out the annual audit of the social assistance programs included in the PCE and will transmit the audit reports to the Bank no later than twelve (12) months after the end of the audited calendar year, starting with the audit of 2011. 4. During the implementation period of the Project, the Lending, through MMFPS, will lead the Social Inspection to carry out sample-based thematic inspections aimed at implementing social assistance programs included in the PCE (except for the state allowance). for children), in order and having the frequency set out in the MOP, to refer, but not limited to, to aspects of the level of irregularities and errors recorded in the administration of social benefits, their causes and actions of remediation undertaken. From the calendar year 2012, during the implementation period of the Project, the reports of the thematic inspections will be submitted to the Bank for analysis no later than ninety (90) days after the completion of the thematic inspection. The borrower, through MMFPS, will provide the Bank with the opportunity to discuss and comment on the said reports and will promptly implement the recommendations agreed with the Bank that emerge from this analysis. B. Financial management, financial reports and audits 1. The borrower, through MMFPS and ANPS, will maintain or determine the maintenance of a financial management system in accordance with the provisions of section 5.09 of the General Conditions. 2. Without being limited to the provisions of Part A of this section, the Loan, through MMFPS and ANPS, will draw up and transmit to the Bank, as part of the Project report, within forty-five (45) days of the end of each quarter calendar, unaudited interim financial reports for the Project, covering a quarter, in form and satisfactory content for the Bank. 3. The borrower, through MMFPS and ANPS, will have the financial statements of the programs within the PCE audited in accordance with the provisions of section 5.09 (b) of the General Conditions. Each audit of the programs ' financial statements will cover a fiscal year of the Loan and will be conducted in accordance with the Bank's acceptable terms of reference. The audited financial statements of the programmes for each period will be transmitted to the Bank within a maximum of twelve (12) months after the end of that period. + Section III Drawing of loan amounts A. Generalities 1. The loan can draw amounts from the loan, in accordance with the provisions of art. II of the General Conditions, of this Section and with those further instructions that the Bank will specify by notifying the Borrower (including the World Bank Guidelines on Trags in May 2006 projects, revised periodically by the Bank and which is applicable to this Agreement in accordance with these instructions), for the reimbursement of eligible expenditure as set out in the table in paragraph 2 below. 2. The table below specifies the categories of eligible expenses that may be financed by the Loan and reimbursed from the loan amounts (Category), the allocation of the loan amounts on each category and the percentage of expenses to be funded by reimbursement of eligible expenses in each category. ┌ ----------------------- ----------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------ | Category | Amount of loan allocated | Percentage of expenses | | | (expressed in EUR) | which will be funded | ├ ----------------------- ----------------------------------------- 留言 | 加入好友 | (1) Payments under PCE | 500.000.000 | Amount to limit shoot-| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | from paragraph B. 2 a) al | | | | | | | | ├ ----------------------- ----------------------------------------- 留言 | 加入好友 | TOTAL AMOUNT: | 500.000.000 | | | └ ----------------------- ----------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------ B. Drawing conditions; shooting period 1. Without contravening the provisions of Part A of this section, no shooting shall be made: a) from the loan account until the Bank does not receive the full payment of the original commission; b) for payments under category (1), as regards each tranche, as set out in the table in paragraph B. 2. a) of this section, for which the drawing request was submitted, if the Loan, through the MFP, did not submit satisfactory documents for the Bank showing that the payments under the PCE were made by the Loan to the beneficiaries eligible in accordance and in accordance with the procedures established by the applicable Lending laws and regulations; c) for payments made prior to the date of this Agreement, provided that the aggregate amount of the drawdowns does not exceed one hundred million euros (EUR 100 million equivalent), to be made for the reimbursement of payments made by Borrowed before the date of the agreement, but not earlier than July 10, 2010, for eligible expenses within the category (1), and provided that the Loan has submitted satisfactory documents for the Bank showing that those IDT have Been fulfilled. 2. Without contravening the provisions of Part A of this section and not limited to the provisions set out in paragraph 1 above, the draws within the above category may be carried out by the Loan as follows: a) The draws will be made in one (1) to twenty (20) instalments and in amounts not exceeding the total limit of each IDT provided in the table below, subject to the submission to the Bank of the satisfactory documents for the Bank and as defined in the MOP showing that the following IDTs have been met: ┌ ----------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------- | Indicators on the basis of which draws are carried out (IDT) | Limits of drag | | | | (expressed in EUR) | ├ ----------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------- | 1) The adopted form of the Action Plan for the Strategy | | | on social care reform is | | | | disseminated by MMFPS. | | 25,000,000 | ├ ----------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------- | 2) ANPS produces 3 monthly monitoring reports of the | | | | 4 programs under the PCE (support allowance | | | | family, child rearing allowance, VMG and | | | | State child benefit). | | 25,000,000 | ├ ----------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------- | 3) ANPS produces 3 monthly performance reports of the manage-| | | | for the programs for families with | | | | reduced income and they are used at the level | | | | MMFPS and ANPS management. | | 25,000,000 | ├ ----------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------- | 4) At least 90% of beneficiaries of support allowances | | | | of the family are paid, through ANPS, for two months | | | | consecutive, in accordance with the harmonized procedures | | | testing the means and by applying the threshold of | | | | lower eligibility. | | 25,000,000 | ├ ----------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------- | 5) At least 90% of the beneficiaries of allowances for | | | raising the child who enters the program starting with | | | | January 1, 2011 are paid, through ANPS, for two | | | | consecutive months, by using an income of | | | 75% replacement. | | 25,000,000 | ├ ----------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------- | 6) At least 90% of beneficiaries of the new consolidated programme | | | for low-income families are paid, through | | | | | ANPS, for two consecutive months. | | 25,000,000 | ├ ----------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------- | | 7) Share of funds for social assistance that | | | | go to the first poorest quintile rose | | | | to 37.7% to 45% from baseline (2009), | | | | as measured by the survey of budgets | | | | | Family. | | 25,000,000 | ├ ----------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------- | 8) Harmonized means of testing the means | | | adopted for VMG, the allowance for support | | | | family and heat aids are disseminated. | | 25,000,000 | ├ ----------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------- | 9) Harmonized medical evaluation criteria | | | | persons with disabilities adopted are disseminated. | | 25,000,000 | ├ ----------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------- | 10) At least 90% of the persons who are certified | | | to receive disability allowance, in conformi-| | | | tits with the new harmonized system on people with | | | disability, are paid through the ANPS. | | 25,000,000 | ├ ----------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------- | 11) At least 90% of new applications for programs | | | for low-income families and for | | | | family policy programs in the last two months | | | | are in line with the operational guidelines | | | | on a unique application and a unique service point | | | | (one-stop shop). | | 25,000,000 | ├ ----------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------- | 12) Administrative and participation costs of benefits-| | | | of the programs based on means testing are | | | | | reduced by 15% compared to the reference value. | | 25,000,000 | ├ ----------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------- | 13) At least one thematic inspection campaign | | | | performs for each of the following programs: | | | | VMG, disability allowance, allowance for | | | | family support, heat aids and | | | | child rearing allowance. | | 25,000,000 | ├ ----------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------- | 14) The action plan for remedies is adopted by ANPS | | | | to implement recommendations from: (i) evaluation | | | | independence on integrity and accuracy | | | | information from SAFIR; and (ii) the study of feasible-| | | | tits on cross-checking of data from | | | | | SAFIR with other databases. | | 25,000,000 | ├ ----------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------- | 15) At least 90% of VMG recipients are paid, | | | | through ANPS, for two consecutive months. | | 25,000,000 | ├ ----------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------- | 16) Creating a central register with a national base of | | | data on persons with disabilities | 25.000.000 | ├ ----------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------- | 17) Review and application as such of the provisions on | | | | sanctions policy, investigative prerogatives, and | | | | system of recommendations for Social Inspection | 25.000.000 | ├ ----------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------- | 18) ANPS runs the crossing of databases including a | | | | period of at least 3 months between data on | | | to programs on the growth allowance of | | | | child, VMG, family support allowance and | | | | state child benefit from the SAFIR system and | | | | the relevant identity information and | | | | income derived from databases administered by | | | National House of Public Pensions, National Agency | | | | Employment, ANAF and National Register | | | | | of Population Records, and lists of irregularities | | | | detected on each program are transmitted to the Inspection | | | | Social for verification and to propose measures | | | | remediation (result). | | 50,000,000 | ├ ----------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------- | 19) Risk-based investigation to detect error | | | | and fraud, is used by the Social Inspection | | | | for programs aimed at families with incomes | | | | reduced, for child rearing allowance and | | | | allowances for persons with disabilities. | | 25,000,000 | └ ----------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------- ----------- Table on the indicators on the basis of which the draws (IDT) are carried out from point 2 2 of lit. B a sect. Annex 2 was replaced by the table in the Annex of the AMENDMENT of 20 June 2013 approved by JUDGMENT no. 705 705 of 18 September 2013 published in MONITORUL OFFICIAL no. 597 597 of 25 September 2013, as amended by point (a) 1 of the same normative act. b) If the Bank finds at any time that any part of the amount made redundant by the Bank of the Loan within the category (1) has been made for the reimbursement of expenses that are not eligible under the PCE or which are not in accordance with the provisions section III. B. 1 b) of this annex and with the provisions of the MOP, the Loan will promptly return that amount to the Bank, as specified by the Bank by notifying the Loan. 3. The shooting deadline will be August 31, 2016. ----------- Item 3 of the letter. B a sect. III of Annex 2 has been amended by section 3. 2 of the AMENDMENT of 20 June 2013 approved by JUDGMENT no. 705 705 of 18 September 2013 published in MONITORUL OFFICIAL no. 597 597 of 25 September 2013. + Annex 3 DEPRECIATION CHART The borrower will repay the loan in full on February 1, 2023. + Appendix + Section I Definitions 1. ANAF means the National Agency for Fiscal Administration of the Loan or any successor thereof. 2. Anti-corruption guidelines mean the Guidelines to prevent and combat fraud and corruption in projects funded by BIRD loans and the AID loans and grants of October 15, 2006, revised in January 2011. 3. Category means a category set out in the table in Section III. A. 2 of Annex 2 to this Agreement. 4 4. AJPS means the county agency for social benefits of the Loan or any successor to it. 5. Child raising allowance means the benefit program established by Government Emergency Ordinance no. 148/2005 on family support in order to increase the child, approved with amendments and additions by Law no. 7/2007 , with subsequent amendments and completions. 6. Additional budget for adults with disabilities means the benefit program established by Law no. 448/2006 on the protection and promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities, republished, as amended and supplemented. 7. Prestations for persons with disabilities means the benefit program established by Law no. 448/2006 , republished, with subsequent amendments and completions. 8. IDTs shall mean the indicators on the basis of which the draws are carried out, as set out in Section III. B. 2.a) of Annex 2 to this Agreement, as these indicators relate to specific product and result indicators which measure the improvement of the performance of the social assistance system of Lending. 9. EC means the European Commission. 10 10. PCE means the eligible expenditure program, a portion of the budget allocations of the Loan for the financing of benefits under 4 social assistance programs: (i) the program on the state allowance for children; (ii) the program on parental allowance; (iii) the family support allowance programme; and (iv) the guaranteed minimum income programme. 11. The allowance for family support means the benefits established by Law no. 277/2010 on the family support allowance, with subsequent amendments and completions. 12. Family policy programs collectively mean the State Child Allowance Program (defined in this Annex), the Child Growth Allowance Program (defined in this Annex), or any successor to the to them. 13. General Conditions mean the General Conditions of IBRD for Loans of July 31, 2010. 14 14. DGAS shall mean the General Directorate for the Social Assistance of Lending within MMFPS (as defined in this Annex) or any successor thereto. 15. VMG means guaranteed minimum income established by Law no. 416/2001 on the guaranteed minimum income, with subsequent amendments and completions. 16. Heat aids means the benefit program established by Government Emergency Ordinance no. 5/2003 * *) on the granting of home heating aid, as well as of population facilities for the payment of thermal energy, approved by Law no. 245/2003 , with subsequent amendments and completions. --------- * *) Government Emergency Ordinance no. 5/2003 has been repealed by Government Emergency Ordinance no. 70/2011 . 17. IMF means International Monetary Fund. 18. Allowance for adults with disabilities means the benefit program established by Law no. 448/2006 , republished, with subsequent amendments and completions. 19. The legislation governing social assistance programs means the relevant legislation of the Loan that regulates the social benefit programs regarding: (i) the state child benefit; (ii) the child-rearing allowance; ((iii) family support allowances; (iv) guaranteed minimum income as defined in this Annex. 20 20. The program for low-income families collectively means family support allowance (as defined in this Annex), guaranteed minimum income (as defined in this Annex), heat aids ((as defined in this Annex) or any successor thereto. 21. M E means monitoring and evaluation. 22 22. MMFPS means the Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Protection of the Loan or any successor to it. 23. MFP means the Ministry of Public Finance or any successor to it. 24. The Loan Agreement and the Memorandum of Understanding between Romania and the EC means the Memorandum of Understanding between the European Community and Romania, signed in Bucharest and in Brussels on 23 June 2009, and the Loan Agreement, in the amount up to 5.000.000.000 euro, between Romania, as the Loan, the National Bank of Romania, as agent of the Loan, and the European Community, as the Lending, signed in Luxembourg on 23 June 2009 and in Bucharest on 18 June 2009 2009, ratified by Government Emergency Ordinance no. 82/2009 , approved with modifications by Law no. 364/2009 ,, as amended. 25. The National Employment Agency means the loan agency under the coordination of MMFPS. 26. The National Institute of Medical Expertise and Work Capacity Recovery means the institute under the coordination of the National House of Public Pensions. 27. ANPS means the National Agency for Social Benefits of Lending or any successor to it. 28. Payments within the PCE means the monthly payments from the budget allocations of the Loan, carried out by ANPS/AJPS to the eligible beneficiaries under one of the 4 social assistance programs referred to in paragraph 10 of May. above, in accordance with the eligibility criteria, the terms and provisions laid down in the respective laws and regulations of the Loan applicable to the respective social assistance programs. 29. Financial statements of the programs means the annual financial statements for the social assistance programs developed by the Loan, through MMFPS and ANPS, in accordance with the applicable national legislation. 30. MOP means the Project Operational Manual, which will be approved by order of the Minister of Labour, Family and Social Protection and referred to in Section I.A. 1 of Annex 2 to this Agreement, which describes the procedures for implementation of the Project, according to the provisions of this agreement and the national legislation and regulations of the Loan 31. The national register of population means the national register of the population administered by the Ministry of Administration and Interior of the Loan. 32 32. SAFIR means the integrated computer system for the administration of social benefits. 33. Social assistance programs mean the 4 social assistance programs of the Eligible Loan for reimbursement under the Project: (i) the State Child Allowance Program; (ii) the Allowance Program for raising the child; (iii) the family support allowance program; and (iv) the guaranteed minimum income program. 34. The strategy on social assistance reform means the social assistance reform program of the Loan as adopted by the Government through the Memorandum of March 3, 2011. 35. State allowance for children means the program of benefits established by Law no. 61/1993 on the state child benefit, republished, as amended. 36. Stand-by arrangement means the stand-by arrangement between Romania and the International Monetary Fund, agreed by the Letter of Intent sent by the Romanian authorities, signed in Bucharest on 24 April 2009, and by the Decision of the Governing Council of International Monetary Fund of 4 May 2009, ratified by Government Emergency Ordinance no. 99/2009 , approved by Law no. 37/2010 ,, as amended. -----------