Romanian government will not ask Romgaz and Nuclearelectrica to increase, from 50% to 90%, the share of profits for 2020 that will be paid to the state budget in the form of dividends, as it did recently in the case of two other utility companies, because these state-owned energy companies have large investment targets, Energy Minister Virgil Popescu said in an interview with Bloomberg on Thursday.

“After talks with the prime minister and the finance minister, we agreed to exempt these two companies,” Popescu said, according to Agerpres.

Bloomberg points out that Romgaz is currently negotiating to take over the 50% stake held by the American group Exxon Mobil in the Black Sea Neptune project, while Nuclearelectrica wants to build two new reactors at the Cernavoda plant.

Prime Minister Florin Cîţu said on Monday evening that in many state-owned companies the amounts that were considered dividends were used to grant bonuses for managers and team building trips, and now the establishment of dividends as state income will not affect the investment chapter.