Moldovan finance minister provides details on new salary law: which employees to benefit from largest pay increases

Low-income public-sector employees will record the largest percentage increases following the salary reform, while some categories of public-sector employees could receive more than 2,000 lei extra per month. Finance Minister Victoria Belous has made statements to this effect during the “Cutia Neagră” (Black Box) programme, aired on TV8 channel.

According to the minister, approximately 50,000 public-sector employees currently receive the minimum wage of 6,300 lei. They work in such fields as early education, local public administration, healthcare, the police and culture.

“In percentage terms, the increases will go to those with the lowest salaries, among the more than 170,000 people who currently work in the public sector,” Victoria Belous said.

The minister also provided more examples of the salary increases set out in the draft law. Thus, a social worker could receive more than 2,000 lei above their current salary, while a soldier’s salary is expected to increase by approximately 2,400 lei. For a police officer, the estimated increase is around 2,600 lei.

Percentage increases of more than 20 per cent are also planned for some categories of low-income employees, including cooks, social workers and nannies.

Victoria Belous said that the draft law had been developed over almost one year, with the involvement of more than 40 officials from all ministries, who analyzed the hierarchy of positions and the responsibilities associated with them.

The reform also targets the highest-ranking positions in the state. According to the minister, the draft law provides for an increase in the gross salary of the President of Moldova from approximately 22,300 lei to 55,000 lei.

“The President’s gross salary is currently approximately 22,300 lei, while the draft law proposes increasing it to 55,000 lei. When establishing this salary scale, consideration was given to the responsibility, involvement and position within the hierarchy of state offices, with the President being the highest-ranking position in the state. We must acknowledge that the country’s President has not received a salary increase since 2020 and has not been entitled to bonuses or other allowances. Accordingly, in addition to the position and responsibility she holds, this proposal is justified,” Finance Minister Victoria Belous said.

Increases are also planned for the prime minister, the parliament speaker and other senior state officials, whose gross salaries are currently below 21,000 lei, according to the minister.

The draft law on the remuneration system aims to revise the salary scales in the public sector, with a focus on employees who currently have the lowest incomes.

The new law on public-sector remuneration, which is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027, provides for the revision of salary scales and the reduction of income disparities among public-sector employees.

According to estimates presented by the government, the largest percentage increases will target employees with low salaries, including social workers, nannies, cooks and healthcare, defense and public-order personnel.

The reform also provides for incorporating certain bonuses into the base salary, so that it accounts for at least 70 per cent of monthly remuneration, as well as reducing the ratio between the lowest and highest salaries on the scale. The draft law was developed, in order to ensure a fairer distribution of salary resources and improve the remuneration of public-sector employees.