Wage Law: Government announces one-off compensation payments from October and public sector salary increases starting 1 January 2027

The Government presented, in a press conference held by Prime Minister Vasile Tofan, the amendments to the new Wage Law in the public sector, as well as the immediate financial measures intended to support public employees until the law enters into force.

The Wage Law aims to correct pay inequities and ensure sustainable, long-term salary growth.

Tofan acknowledged that the initially announced deadline, September, cannot be met. He explained that, in the meantime, economic and energy shocks in the region have placed additional pressure on the budget, and the fiscal reform—necessary to create sustainable additional revenues—was finalized later than planned. The Government needs a few extra months to secure financing and implement the new pay scale in a responsible and sustainable way.

“We acknowledge people’s discontent and the fact that objective reasons cannot be a sufficient justification. On behalf of the Government, I apologize for not being able to fulfill the promise to increase salaries this autumn. I guarantee that, starting January 1, 2027, the new pay scale will enter into force and salaries in the public sector will increase. This is a firm commitment, for which we are ensuring the necessary financial coverage and preparations,” said Tofan.

To offset the postponement of the new pay scale, the Government will grant in October a one-off payment to all public employees with a gross salary below 20,000 lei (for a full-time position).

For this support measure, the Government will allocate half a billion lei.

The wage reform involves increasing the wage bill by over 5 billion lei, reaching a total of more than 38 billion lei for 2027, and will be adopted by the Government in October. The Wage Law will stabilize the incomes of public sector employees and is based on several key pillars.

Tofan thanked all public sector employees for their patience and daily work: “Dear public sector employees, dear teachers, police officers, doctors, civil servants, the success of the Republic of Moldova, including EU accession, depends to a great extent on you. A European state means a strong public sector, with professional and honest people, where work is fairly remunerated and respected. At the same time, it means spending responsibly and prudently. Every leu added to salaries must be backed by budget growth, and for this we need to restart the economy. All these things cannot be achieved overnight, but gradually and responsibly we will accomplish them,” the Prime Minister said.