Moldovan PM asks finance ministry to ensure payment of due pensions

Chisinau, 4 December /MOLDPRES/ - Prime Minister Ion Chicu, in the beginning of a today’s cabinet meeting, referred to the salary debts recorded in the public sector for last October and demanded the urgent solving of this problem, the government’s communication and protocol department has reported.    

„Due to deficiencies in the cabinet’s work in a previous period, we have debts in the payment of salaries in the public sector for October 2019. At 12:00, there were 1,525 people from 64 institutions who failed to receive their salaries for last October. I want to know when we finish the payment of salaries,” Ion Chicu said.  

The finance minister said that most salaries had been paid. “We work intensely with the institutions which remained without salaries, in order to overcome the situation. The financings are available; there are more than enough financial means. We believe that on 5 December or on 6 December at the latest, everything must be paid off,” Finance Minister Sergiu Puscuta said.   

In continuation, the PM stressed the importance of identifying the infrastructure for investments in each district centre. Chicu noted that he was set to meet the heads of the district councils elected at the 20 October ballot, in order to establish a programme to this end. “I spoke to Minister Usatii the creation of industrial platforms in each district centre. I know that you have started elaborating a plan which contains spaces where we could develop these industrial platforms. Please, finish this list as soon as possible,” the prime minister said.     

At the same meeting, PM Ion Chicu tackled the subject of economic development and increase in the number of jobs, stressing the importance of changing the regulation to this effect. “I want to mention the subject on the subsidization of jobs, of the salaries of our fellow countrymen who work abroad. Next year, we will implement major projects and we will need additional labour force and we rely on our fellow countrymen who left abroad. We should attract them home and we are set to subsidize the salaries from the state budget,” the prime minister emphasized. 

The PM referred also to the First Home programme, the pace of implementation of which has considerably decreased, noting that mechanisms must be created to restart this programme.    

The prime minister also asked to enhance the responsibility of the employees from the governmental structures and public institutions as to the use of public money in one’s own interest. “I know that there is the tendency, when a person comes to a new office, he/she wants to change the laptop, gadgets, vehicle. We must leave this tendency of renewal in the past. We do not buy new laptops, phones at the expense of the institution. I know cases of wish to spend public money,” the PM said. Ion Chicu asked the State Chancellery to check the way the service transport of the National Health Insurances Company is used, as well as to assess other structures.