Salary increase for public sector employees, bigger assistance for low-income people provided for in Moldova's state budget for 2020

Chisinau, 17 October /MOLDPRES/ - Prime Minister Maia Sandu has announced the main trends of the 2020 Solidarity Budget at a TV programme on 16 October. These trends include salary increase for public sector employees, bigger support for low-income people for the cold period of the year, allowances for the electricity consumption, increase in the allowance for the Transnistria War veterans and more financial autonomy for the local public administration, the government’s communication and protocol department has reported.     

„This is a budget of solidarity and fairness, despite the fact that the resources are quite poor. People were not encouraged to invest; on the contrary, people closed their businesses and tried to carry them abroad, as they did not trust the previous governance. Respectively, we have little additional resources, with which we are to make new things; yet, nevertheless, we come up with a draft budget which we describe as solidarity one. Through this budget, we try, as a society, to unite with the low-income people,” Maia Sandu said.  

The draft budget for 2020 includes more measures able to increase the assistance for low-income people. Thus, the government informs about the increase in the allowance for the cold period of the year from 350 to 500 lei per month and increase in the number of people benefitting from this allowance. The government suggests also introducing a new social assistance programme, in order to compensate a part of the spending for the electric energy – a programme from which about 400,000 low-income pensioners will benefit. The draft budget sees also an increase in the allowance received by the Transnistria War veterans from 100 to 300 lei per month.      

The 2020 Solidarity Budget includes the increase in salaries for public sector employees from 6 to 10 per cent from the basic salary. Most public sector employees will benefit from these increases, except for the MPs, judges and prosecutors. Some inequalities created by the previous governance as to the salaries for the employees from the education sector, penitentiary institutions, defence field and other sectors are put right in this draft as well.   

The 2020 Solidarity Budget will enhance the local financial autonomy through the increase up to 100 per cent of the share of taxes which remain at the local public authorities from the incomes taxes of private people from the rural settlements and the increase of the same share up to 50 per cent for towns and cities. 

After the draft budget for 2020 is given the final touches, the cabinet will approve it and will promote it in parliament.