United Nations Development Programme's study shows big gap between rich, poor in Moldovan capital

Chisinau, 12 October /MOLDPRES/ - The Chisinau city is more attractive for living than other settlements of Moldova; yet, the gap between the rich and poor in the capital is bigger and the poverty rate is growing, according to a study worked out by the United Nations Development Programme Moldova (UNDP Moldova), launched today. The study is a component part of a regional report concerning Europe and Central Asia.  

According to the study, in Chisinau, it is difficult for people to find a decent and well-paid job. The capital’s residents also suffer from limited access to qualitative basic services, proper dwellings, as well as because of the poor quality infrastructure. All these factors lead to social and economic inequalities between different groups of persons.      

The case study titled, Inequalities of Urban Moldova, also shows that over seven per cent of the families from the urban area and 11 per cent of the families living in Chisinau city have no houses, flats and live in hired dwellings. The payment of the house rent more strongly affects the chances of young families to have their own dwelling. At the same time, one fourth of the families from the Chisinau municipality, who have their own dwelling pace, have no minimum space set by the legislation in force.   

The number of jobless people in Chisinau has dropped in the last years, being thrice lower against the level recorded in 2010.

“The number of jobs available in the capital has also grown. Yet, the persistence of the large number of available jobs against the perseveringly large number of unemployed arouses serious queries as regards the inconsistency between the jobs and the preferences or abilities of the jobless persons,”  a specialist in policies at UNDP Moldova, Alexandru Oprunenco, has said.    

The inequality of chances in employment persists among certain groups of residents: young people without working experience, elderly people, especially persons of the pre-retirement age, mothers with small children.

The low-income Chisinau residents face problems in accessing public services, including services of education and healthcare, the provision of which is often fully or partially conditioned by the payment of unofficial bills. The mandatory health insurance does not provide full access to medical assistance services of high quality. The private medical services, which are perceived as having a higher quality, can be accessed especially by persons with higher incomes.

“The Chisinau residents want to be “confident in the tomorrow” and the preliminary conditions for this would be: a decent place for living and a job with a decent salary; sound food, resources for a vacation and some financial reserves for unexpected expenses. Also, it is necessary to ensure a social protection of children from vulnerable families, by providing them allocations and enhancing their access to educational institutions and activities,” Oprunenco noted.  

The case study was drafted based on current statistics and administrative data and analysis of stories of about 1,000 women and men. Also, three group discussions took place, to collect qualitative data: with unemployed; low-income people; young families with children, without dwelling space.    

(Reporter V. Bercu, editor L. Alcaza)