The Foundation for the Defence of Citizens against State Abuses (FACIAS) has exposed the mismanagement of the Oltenia Energy Complex Company, which maintains exorbitant salary privileges and benefits even as the company's turnover has fallen four times in a single year. Official data show a dramatic drop in CE Oltenia's net profit, from 3.5 billion lei in 2022 to 1 billion lei in 2023, and in 2024 to a staggering 285 million lei, almost 12 times less than in 2022.
FACIAS points out that although CE Oltenia's net profit decreased three times in 2023, the budget for salary expenses increased by 130 million lei compared to the previous year. Despite this financial collapse, the management of CE Oltenia continues to benefit from salaries and financial advantages that are disproportionate to the company's economic situation.
According to public information, in 2023 the members of CE Oltenia's board of directors were paid about 30,000 lei per month, the directors in the executive management received salaries between 14,600 and 20,500 lei per month, and the trade union leaders employed as social inspectors had net salaries between 9,000 and 10,500 lei.
FACIAS has formally asked the management of CE Oltenia for explanations on the salary policy and benefits granted in relation to economic results. The reply signed by Iulius-Dan Plavet, chairman of CE Oltenia's board of directors, states that in December 2024, the highest gross salary in the company was 28,219 lei per month, while the average gross salary was 13,195 lei. It also states that "for the year 2025, the amount of gross remuneration to be granted to the members of the companies' management will depend on the fulfillment of the conditions set out in Article XXXVII of Law No. 296/2023 on some fiscal-budgetary measures to ensure Romania's long-term financial sustainability."
FACIAS warns that if in 2025 CE Oltenia applies the same wage policy as in previous years, with a management that is out of touch with reality and that maintains luxurious salaries even in the context of the financial collapse of the company, we could witness an accelerated debauchery of this company, the accumulation of public debts and, finally, the risk of not being able to supply energy to consumers.
Given the huge discrepancy between the management's income and the company's precarious financial situation, FACIAS calls on the Ministry of Energy and other competent institutions to launch a detailed audit of the use of public funds at CE Oltenia. It is unacceptable that at a time when the company is facing huge losses, the management is maintaining its luxurious salaries and unjustified benefits without any accountability to the public interest.