Moldovan PM says debts for 2014 year subsidies for farmers to be paid by late October at the latest

Chisinau, 19 October /MOLDPRES/ - The debts worth 23 million lei for the subsidies for 2014 will be paid during this week or till 30 October at the latest, Prime Minister Valeriu Strelet said at at a news briefing held after a today's meeting with representatives of agricultural producers.

"The payment documents, files submitted to the Finance Ministry, the treasury will be executed in the nearest future," the prime minister said.

Strelet stressed that financial means would be identified to pay in 2015 compensations amounting to 45 million lei to apple producers who suffered in the wake of the Russian embargo, put in mid-2014, and had to supply the apples to processing at lower prices. 

The farmers who have not received the arrears for 2014 subsidies and the fruit growers who remained without compensations announced protest actions outside the government for 19 October. The agricultural producers postponed the protests, after Prime Minister Valeriu Strelet had invited them to a discussion.

The government has earlier said that the sums due to be paid to farmers would be taken into account when rectifying the state budget. On 15 October, the cabinet approved a draft law on the 2015 state budget's rectification; yet, the 45 million lei was not provided for in the document.  

(Reporter V. Bercu, editor M. Jantovan)